Hey Little Sister
by Haitus80
Summary: (AU No ZA) Carol never pictured herself pouring drinks for a living but it somehow suited her. When her favorite rowdy patron brings his little brother to the bar for his twenty first Birthday, she learns a few more things about herself she had never known. Sneaking around under Merle's watchful eye isn't easy, but he's made it clear that she is off limits to Daryl.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Ninelives had a writing challenge and this was my entry. It was suppose to be a long one shot but, again, I became long winded and had to turn it into a chapter fic. Good news is, it's finished so no waiting. The bad news is, it really isn't anything too special. Lol It's just a story about Caryl. I thought some of you might enjoy it anyway. Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter One**

She hadn't taken the job because she wanted to. She took the job because she needed to be able to pay rent for her apartment and she needed to save up for a car so she could get out of the crappy town she had grew up in. She needed to get the hell away from her stupid ex and start all over.

So here she was, pouring drinks at the notorious Dirty Bird Bar. She felt like a disgusting floozie in the ridiculous uniform they made the female employees wear. She had to admit though that the tips were damn good and she was making more money than she had at her previous job waiting tables at the fanciest restaurant in town. So what if she looked like a stripper. The point was, she wasn't one. She was respectable, even if she didn't look it. It wasn't like she flirted or anything. She poured drinks, handed out beers and occasionally engaged lonely patrons in small talk.

It was mostly rough necks that frequented the place and several of them declared that she was their little sister and would break the necks of anyone that would cause her harm. She supposed that was kind of nice. It wasn't every day that big burly biker men took her under their large leather wing. It had actually came in very handy the few times her ex had came in with his ridiculous college friends just to give her a hard time.

Other than her ex the men that frequented the Bird, which was what most of them called the place, were mostly older guys. Late twenties and up. It wasn't a college hang out at all. She had never seen herself working at a place like this, dressed like a biker slut and passing out poison to a bunch of grinning leather clad patrons, but here she was, and she smiled because her life could always be worse. She had made some good friends at the place and she had to admit that her job was never dull.

"Carol!" A loud boisterous voice called as a pair of large hands slapped the bar.

She looked up from the line of shots she was pouring and grinned. "Merle," she greeted.

"Lookin' classy as usual," Merle grinned back.

Carol rolled her eyes and looked down at the skimpy black shirt she was wearing. It showed off her midriff and the neckline was cut in a V that barely concealed her breasts. "Go to hell, Merle," she said with a smile.

"You save your shots for me tonight?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

As the head bartender she was allowed a few drinks every night. Merle had been taking shots with her for months now and usually that was the only time she would have anything to drink. She liked him. He was lewd and he was rough around the edges but he looked out for her and he was at the bar as much as she was for the most part.

She reached under the bar and pulled out a bottle of Tequila. "Of course. Highlight of my night."

"Make it three," he said with that easy grin of his.

"Hot date?" She asked, glancing around for one of the women that he usually had hanging all over him.

"Nope. Pussy has to wait for later. Special occasion, actually. My baby brother's finally legal and I plan on getting him shit faced. He's a lightweight so what's probably gonna happen is, he's gonna watch me get shitfaced. But fuck it, right? It's a reason to celebrate."

"I didn't know you had a brother. I'm not sure if I can handle two of you, Merle. I'm only one woman."

The smile that he gave her was pure evil and he raised an eyebrow. "Now that would be a hell of a night. You wouldn't be able to walk right for a week. But you know you ain't my type, darlin'. You ain't his either. You're too respectable. I appreciate the offer though."

"What the fuck are you talkin' about?"

Carol and Merle both turned to the newcomer. Carol felt her eyes widen slightly, sure that this guy wasn't old enough to be here. She felt like she had seen him before but she couldn't place him. She would remember this one for sure if she'd met him.

Merle grinned. "Carol here offered to throw it to us both for your birthday, baby brother. Hell, I didn't even know she was interested. I should kick her ass for even thinkin' such a thing."

The boy's face turned scarlet and Carol was sure that hers matched. She would never get used to this man. Ever. "I assure you, I never offered. Can I see some ID?"

The guy eyed her and then grabbed his wallet and tossed it onto the bar. She eyed him right back, letting him know that she dealt with much more intimidating people than him on a nightly basis and then picked up his wallet. She opened it up and stared at the driver's license before closing it up and sliding it back to him. "Happy Birthday, Daryl," she said with a smile.

He rolled his eyes. "Thanks."

She sat their shots down in front of them and then readied her own. She did her duty, took her shot, and then had to move on to some other customers. She was busy for a good half hour and knew that Merle would be gone when she made it back around. She was a little surprised to see that his brother hadn't taken off with him.

"How about a beer?" She asked with a smile. The guy looked kind of miserable and when he looked up from under a fringe of bangs she was, once again, taken aback by how good looking he was. Merle had her distracted earlier so she hadn't paid a whole lot of attention to the quieter one but now she was having a hard time looking away.

Finally he nodded. When she sat the mug down he went for his wallet again but she shook her head. "You only turn twenty one once, right? It's on the house. Just remember, if you get as rowdy as your brother, I'll have to have Oscar throw you out. I'd hate to do that."

He took a drink of the beer and then shook his head. "I won't. Merle's a goddamn buffoon. I got more sense than him."

She grinned. "I can tell."

His face flushed again and he busied himself with his beer as she moved on down the line, talking and joking with some of the other regulars. She surprised herself when she caught herself frowning when she looked up and he was gone. She figured as much. Merle wouldn't have let him sit there all night, even though he looked as though that was what he would have preferred. Actually, for the first time since starting this job, she found herself wanting to talk to a guy.

She shook the thought and continued on with her evening, watching the tip jar fill up and loading the waitresses down with table orders and enjoying the smooth sounds of classic rock that drifted towards the bar from the jukebox. The night went as smoothly as it usually did and Merle made a few more appearances.

"You're shitfaced, Merle Dixon. I'm cutting you off."

Merle swayed but the woman he had on his arm giggled and steadied him. He held up his hand. "I'm leavin'. Just came over to tell ya that I'll see ya around."

"Do you need me to call you a cab?" She asked. "And what about your brother?"

Merle frowned and glanced around. "Affirmative on the cab... and I can't remember what happened to my brother. Maybe he found himself a lady. He asked about you. He wasn't too drunk but he'd had enough beers to loosen his lips a little bit. Don't worry though. I told him you was off limits and I'd break his neck if he tried anything."

"That's nice, Merle," Carol said with a shake of her head. She made the call to get him home safe and then started wiping down the counters. The crowd was thinning out and no one seemed to want anything when she signaled last call.

"I'm gonna go ahead to the back and get the big cash into the safe," Oscar said, coming around the counter behind her.

"Right. If there's a problem out here I'll yell but I'm doubting there will be," she said as she dried the glass she had just washed.

"You're tellin' me. I think I have the most borin' damn job in this whole town," he muttered.

She nodded in agreement. He most likely did. Maybe a few times a month a fight would break out and he would actually have to get his hands dirty and toss someone on their ass, but usually he stood around behind the bar and helped her.

Once the room was empty and the last song finished she came out from around the counter to lock the doors. She'd already cleaned out her tip jar, the wad of money was now shoved into her purse. She was halfway to the door when it opened up and three men sauntered in. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes moving from the small group of men to the hallway where Oscar had disappeared.

"We're closed," she said to the men. She should have known that this was going to happen again. It had been nearly a month since Ed and his buddies had shown up.

"Doors unlocked. Looks like you're open," he said with a sly grin, elbowing one of his buddies.

"Oscar is right in the back, Ed. All I have to do is yell for him," she said, taking a step away from the men that were still heading further into the room, closer to her.

"I don't see any of your drunk boyfriends though. What's one man against three? Give us three beers," he said, his cold eyes flashing.

She clenched her jaw and shook her head. "You need to leave, Ed. I told you we're closed. If you wanted a drink you could have came earlier." Her heart started beating faster and she took another step back.

The door opened and someone else came in. The three men turned to see who the newcomer was and Carol cursed under her breath for not locking the door sooner. Merle's brother stepped in. "Hey, you think I can use your phone? My dipshit brother left with the damn keys to my bike," he said, not paying much attention to the three men standing there.

"And while you're entertaining this kid, we'll take those beers," Ed sneered as he passed her with his buddies.

Daryl watched them walk away, his eyes hard until they met hers. It seemed like his fresh faced appearance was something that got brought up often.

She sighed and nodded towards the phone behind the bar. "You can use the phone. I asked Merle where you had gotten off to but he couldn't remember," she said, leading him around the counter.

"That's Merle for ya," he muttered, grabbing the phone and nodding his thanks as he dialed a number.

She turned to the three men that were now sitting patiently, waiting for her to pour them drinks. "One beer. That's it. You have five minutes to finish them and then I want you all out of here."

Daryl was a few feet away, talking low into the phone. Ed eyed him for a second and then looked at her with a cold smile. "Look at who still thinks she's hot stuff now that she's turned herself into a little slut." He sipped his beer as his friends chuckled, eying her.

She crossed her arms over her chest, wishing, not for the first time, that she didn't have to wear these stupid clothes. She felt her face flame with embarrassment. "Just hurry up and get out, Ed. I don't want any trouble."

Ed laughed. "Too bad."

She glanced over to see if Daryl was finished with the phone and was surprised to see him leaning against the wall, watching the three men with a hard look. His eyes flicked up to meet hers and she saw a silent question there.

"So, you still just getting paid for serving drinks or have you moved on to giving some lip service to your loyal patrons, Carol?" One of the men asked.

She shook her head. "Get out," she said but even she could hear the barely concealed fear in her voice.

"We're still drinking," Ed said, holding up his mostly full mug.

"You're done. I want you out," she said, forcing the tremor out of her voice.

"And I said I'm still drinkin'," Ed growled.

She glanced at Daryl again and this time she realized she shouldn't have. Ed narrowed his eyes and glanced between them. Daryl was looking at her now and she gave him a small nod, letting him know that she was fine. He pushed off the wall and walked around the counter.

"Why don't you just cut the shit Carol. It's hard to believe that a girl like you has let herself go like you have. A bar whore." Ed laughed. "It's damn pathetic. I'm startin' to think that maybe I didn't knock your ass around enough."

She opened her mouth to say something but suddenly Ed was being dragged off the bar stool and she watched as Daryl swung, hitting him right in the nose. Ed squealed like a stuck pig and then his friends finally realized what was happening and both of them were out of their seats.

Daryl looked up, kicked Ed hard in the side and then started backing away from the two men that were storming towards him.

"Fuck," he muttered right before one of them swung, hitting him right above the eye.

She felt horrible that she was taking so much pleasure in Ed's pained cries but it wasn't because of Ed. All Daryl had wanted to do was use the phone and now he was going to get his ass kicked because of her. Her and her stupid past. She found herself more angry than she had been in a long time. She grabbed a bottle, the very one she had poured shots for Merle and Daryl earlier, and hopped over the counter. Just as one of the men made a grab for Daryl's jacket, she swung the bottle as hard as she could.

She stumbled backwards. The bottle didn't break but the man dropped to the floor like a stone. She looked up when she heard a grunt and realized that Daryl was scuffling with the other man, a cut above his eyebrow bleeding heavily, and Ed was pulling himself up off the floor.

Daryl was handling the one man but she wasn't sure if he'd be able to take two. She got lucky because suddenly Oscar came tearing down the hallway. She scurried back behind the bar then and let the two men handle it. She'd helped as best she could and if she stayed over there she would just be in the way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Glad some of you enjoyed the first chapter of this! Here's another. Have a safe weekend people and thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter Two**

Daryl wasn't too worried about the arrogant ass jocks that he was fighting. Especially after that crazy ass bartender chick cracked one son of a bitch in the head with a bottle. Nah, he thought he had a chance until some giant black dude came hauling ass right towards him. That was when he started thinking he wasn't going to leave the bar unless it was in an ambulance.

He'd spent a big portion of his life in some sort of fist fight or another so he knew he had a little skill but he'd be a liar of he tried to say that when he realized the big guy was on his side, he wasn't relieved.

He had seen the guy several time throughout the night and realized that he was the bouncer. Between the two of them they had the three guys thrown out on their asses pretty quick.

"Carol, why the hell didn't you yell for me!" The big guy asked, turning and glaring at the girl.

"I was just going to give them a beer and wait for you to come back in. I didn't know there was going to be a fight," she said, hands going to her hips.

The man shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose and then looked up, studying Daryl's face. "You need to see a doctor or something? They got in a few good hits."

Daryl shook his head even though he could feel blood on his face. "I'll live."

The man shot Carol another look. "I'm headin' upstairs. For God's sake keep the damn door locked and clean this guy up."

She nodded and they both watched as the man headed towards the back, down the hallway. Finally her eyes came back to him and the corner of her mouth came up. "For what it's worth, thank you. Even though you were kind of outnumbered and that was a really stupid move." She pulled out a chair and motioned for him to sit down.

He glanced at the door and then back to the chair, thinking it would be better to just walk on home since he didn't know where Merle was so he couldn't get his keys.

"Please," she said quietly, "it's the least I can do."

He ran a hand through his hair and finally sat down in the chair she had indicated. She disappeared through a doorway and then came back with a white box. She stepped behind the bar and grabbed a bottle and two shot glasses and then sat everything down on the table in front of him.

"I figure since I'm the reason you're bleeding on your Birthday I can at least give you a few more free shots. That was really stupid of you, Daryl Dixon. I can't believe you did that," she said as she opened up a packet containing an alcohol swab.

He shrugged but flinched when he felt the sting of alcohol on the cut above his eye. "I figure, it bein' my birthday and all, I deserved more action than just sittin' around here and watching my brother make an ass of himself."

"You are a lot different than your brother," she said with a smile.

"Thank fuck," he muttered, grabbing the bottle off the table and taking a long drink.

She quirked one eyebrow at him but then looked down, readying another swab to clean his face up with. "He's not so bad. He's always been nice to me."

Daryl took advantage of her being preoccupied and let his gaze sweep over her, not for the first time tonight. The outfit she was wearing left very little to the imagination but there was something about how she carried herself that told him that this wasn't her. The heavy eye makeup and the revealing clothes, non of that was her. When he studied her face closer he narrowed his eyes. "Carol, right? That's your name?"

She nodded, meeting his eyes.

"Reynolds?" He asked, sure he had the right person.

She nodded again and then jumped when he laughed.

"Holy shit. You went to my school."

She frowned and shook her head, her face growing hot.

He grinned. He remembered her now, even though she was nearly unrecognizable. "You were two grades ahead of me. Goddamn, you changed." And she had. He remembered seeing her a time or two, usually getting picked on by the more popular girls. She was always wearing outdated clothes and her hair was always messy and she always had her nose shoved into books and she always seemed to walk with her head down and her shoulders slumped like she was waiting for the whole world to come crashing down on her. He remembered because he had silently sympathize with her. A few times he had even came close to talking to her when they would pass in the hallway. He had never gotten up the courage to do it though.

"I don't remember you and I'm sure you got the wrong girl," she said, grabbing the bottle and taking a drink of her own.

He shook his head. "No, it was you. You're a lot different, but I remember. I don't think I ever seen you without a sweater on though. Or baggy pants or those squeaky white shoes."

Her eyes came up, meeting his, unflinching. "If you're just going to make fun of me then I'm putting the bottle back and you can go clean yourself up," she said quietly.

He took a few more swallows, watching her as the alcohol warmed his blood. She was embarrassed but he hadn't meant for her to be. "I'm not."

She sighed and for a few long moments they simply sat there, passing the bottle back and forth between them. He realized that he was getting drunk and that wasn't smart because he didn't know how he was going to get home. Merle had all his cash so he couldn't call a cab either. If he got any drunker than he was already he would surely get busted for a PI.

"I guess I need to go," he said after a while. It wasn't like he was good at conversing and he was even worse when it came to women.

"Do you have a ride coming?" She asked, worry causing a frown to form between her brows. He noticed that she'd drank a lot herself while they had been sitting there.

He shook his head. "Nah but it ain't that far. I can walk," he said as he stood up. Unfortunately, he swayed a little and she stood up with him, grabbing his arm to steady him. "Shit," he muttered, blinking as the liquor started going to his head.

She blinked a few times herself, like maybe she wasn't very steady either. "Maybe I should have left that behind the bar."

He nodded. "Maybe."

She glanced around and then seemed to make a decision. She even nodded to herself. "If you want you can go home with me and sober up. You can sleep on my couch if you want. I know the cops around here and they stake this place out all the time trying to catch someone trying to leave drunk. It's why I usually call Merle a cab."

He wasn't sure if that was such a good idea. The alcohol had done wonders to dull the pain from the hits he had taken but that also meant that it would dull his better judgment too.

"Or I can call you a cab. I mean, I wasn't trying to get you to come home with me or anything. Not for... I mean, I just meant that maybe you could eat something or get some coffee and then... Oh God. I bet you think I'm a total slut!"

His eyes went wide and he shook his head. "I didn't think you were tryin' to... You know. Not that I ain't... I mean I would." He felt his face grow hot as her wide eyes lowered and her own face flushed even more. For some reason that was the hottest thing he'd seen in a long time. She was still fucking insecure. But goddamn he was making a fucking fool of himself. "Where do you live?"

She pointed to the ceiling. "There's two apartments upstairs. I live in one and Oscar, the bouncer, lives in the other one. When I moved in I was a waitress down the street but I couldn't manage the bills so the owner said I should try my hand at tending bar. The money's good but," she looked down and tried to adjust her shirt so it covered more but it was no use, "I'm stuck looking like this every night and sometimes people get the wrong idea."

"Coffee. I can go for some coffee and then I should be good to walk home."

She smiled but now it was a nervous one. "Okay."

He followed her through the bar and then down a long hallway with a flickering fluorescent light running the length of the ceiling. She started up the stairs and he was slower, probably because he'd had a little more to drink than her. He looked up and then nearly tripped when he realized that he had a perfect view up her skirt. He didn't know what he was expecting, since she was clad in black revealing clothes. Maybe lace or some crotchless leather panties.

Jesus! What the fuck was he thinking that for? He was a freak. A gross freak like Merle.

Anyway, he wasn't expected to get an eye full of pink cotton covered in yellow smiley faces. He really shouldn't have drank so much tonight. He cleared his throat when they stopped outside her door. She didn't have to unlock it, apparently trusting the big guy across the hall. She motioned him inside.

He stood there, looking around the room. It was pretty nice and it was clean. It smelled like vanilla and oranges. He grinned like an idiot.

"What?" She asked, smiling at him, her eyes soft as they met his.

He shook his head. "I've seen apartments above bars before. This is probably the nicest one I've ever been in."

She looked around the room. "Thanks. Actually, you're the first person that I've ever had over."

"Still a loner, huh?" he asked, not paying much attention to anything but the way her lips turned up.

"I am. Despite what most people think, since I'm such a great bartender and all, I don't much like to be around crowds. I like it up here by myself. Do you mind if I go change. I can't stand these clothes."

He nodded and sat down heavily on the couch. It was a lot nicer than his couch. He leaned his head against the back and sighed. He felt stupid for even following her up here because he knew that he would be a liar if the prospect of messing around with her hadn't crossed his liquor addled mind and that was dumb because he had absolutely zero fucking game.

He started chewing his nail nervously after she wasn't back after a few minutes. Had she gone on to bed and was just going to leave him out here on her couch like a moron? Surely not. He looked up when she breezed into the room. She had changed into an oversized long sleeve tee shirt that went down to her knees. Her feet were bare, her hair was pulled up in a messy bun and the make up was washed away.

"What are you grinning at?" She asked, stopping, her hands going to her hips.

He hadn't realized he had been grinning at all. "Nothin'," he muttered. He stood up then and was about to follow her to the kitchen but he somehow managed to trip over the leg of the coffee table and damn near plowed her over. He caught her before she could fall on her ass, jerking her up quickly and with a little more force than he had meant to because she slammed into his chest hard. "Fuck," he cursed, dropping his hands. "Sorry."

She smiled. "You're a lot more drunk than I thought you were."

He snorted. "I ain't even drunk."

"I've heard that more times than I can count. But I can tell you're drunk because you were sober when I met you earlier and you were quiet and surely. Now you're smiling a lot and you're tripping over your own two feet. Me on the other hand, I can admit that I drank too much. I rarely ever drink more than a shot or two with your brother. I went overboard and I can be honest about it."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, wincing when his palm grazed the cut above his eye.

She frowned and pulled his hand away, her fingers brushing across his brow bone as she examined the cut again. He stayed still and watched as she frowned again. "That man is the bane of my existence. I swear I wish he'd drop off the face of the earth. The world would be better for it."

"Whats the story there anyway?" He asked, remembering the bullshit that man had been saying to her.

"Disgruntled ex boyfriend. We got into an argument one night and he slapped the hell out of me. I left and now he shows up to be a jerk. Oscar usually takes care of him for me. He used to try to lay on the charm and get me back but after that didn't work, now he just tries to bully me."

He realized that she hadn't backed away from him and he could feel the warmth rolling off of her. "Then I'm glad I kicked his ass," he muttered.

Her eyes slid down from his cut, meeting his. "So am I, but next time maybe you should make sure he doesn't have two guys with him."

He shrugged. "I had back up. You were pretty damn bad ass with that bottle."

She laughed, the sound rolling through him like thunder. "I can't believe I did that. I've never hit a person in my life, let alone with a bottle. But I agree, I was bad ass." She bit her lip, and he realized that somehow, his hands were on her waist. "Thank you, Daryl. For sticking up for me. You didn't have to." And she didn't seem to mind that his hands were on her. Her cheeks were flushing deeply.

"Any time," he said, swallowing hard.

"You know, I meant what I said. I didn't ask you up here to mess around," she said, her eyes trailing down to his mouth and lingering there.

"I know," he mumbled. He was about to drop his hands and step away from her but suddenly her lips were pressed against his, surprising him.

She pulled away quickly, before he had any time at all to react. She looked completely flustered and she stepped away. "Um... coffee. I was gonna make coffee."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hope you all had a good weekend! Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter Three**

He watched her hurry through the doorway, his eyes wide and his heart beating a little faster than it should have been. When he had first seen her tonight he had assumed that she was the type that Merle usually hung around with. She had looked the part. But now he knew that she was the furthest thing from _that_ kind of woman as she could get. She wore smiley face underwear. Any woman that wore smiley face underwear was put in the good girl category.

Why did he want so badly to corrupt this particular good girl?

He reluctantly followed her and sat down at the table. He really wished he hadn't drank so much. Then again, if he hadn't, he wouldn't even be here. He sat there and watched as she reached up into a cabinet, her night shirt riding up high on the backs of her thighs. He felt too hot up here so he shrugged his jacket off.

She turned around and leaned her back into the counter, her eyes bright and her face still red. She sighed. "I guess now I'm more like the girl you saw in school back then, huh? A total nerd?" She smiled but it was strained.

He shook his head. "You ain't a nerd."

Her smile turned more genuine and she seemed to relax a little under his gaze. "So, where do you work? The only thing I know about you is that you're Merle Dixon's little brother and today is your Birthday."

"Right now we're both workin' construction. Next month it might be in a garage somewhere. I don't know." He shrugged.

"That sounds exciting," she said as she sat a steaming cup down in front of him.

He shook his head. "It's a pain in the ass. He's the one usually getting fired for some reason or another and I'm the idiot tag along that follows him around."

She sighed. "Well, you didn't follow him around tonight."

"No. I followed you." He took a sip and grimaced and then looked up when she laughed.

"I figured you needed it strong."

He nodded. "I think I changed my mind. You gotta beer?"

She chewed her lip for a moment and then stood up, going to the fridge and pulling out two. "Usually I don't. I'm not really much of a drinker but what the hell." She sounded nervous.

He'd never made a woman nervous before and he must have let it go to his head a little because once she sat the beer down he grabbed her wrist and stood up. She'd kissed him. Well, she had kind of kissed him, so it was only fair that he kiss her back. And he did. Except he made sure to do it right. She'd kissed him like someone would kiss their grandma.

He thought maybe she would kiss him back. He didn't expect her to kiss him back and start pulling him out of the room. He followed willingly, his heart about to bust right out of his chest. Apparently she had only needed a nudge because she wasn't acting very shy or insecure at the moment. She was walking backwards and nearly tripped so he grabbed her around the waist to keep her from falling.

She pulled away, her eyes huge and her face flushed. "Would you believe me if I swore to you that I've never done this before?"

He nodded eagerly. He shouldn't believe her because she didn't even know him and he was pretty damn certain that she was leading him to her bedroom but, somehow, he was sure. She didn't bring men from the bar up to her room for a good time. He knew she wasn't like that. Or she hadn't been. He'd somehow lucked up.

"Okay," she said, seemingly satisfied that he didn't think that she was some kind of slut. She turned, gripping his hand hard and lead him down a short hallway. She pulled him into the bedroom and then kicked the door closed.

"You sure you wann-" Her mouth was on his before he could finish the sentence. She was also pushing her hands under his shirt, working it up. He pulled away and stripped it off and then she was working his belt open.

"I deal with men like your brother all the time. Every single night. You wouldn't believe some of the things that come out of their mouths and even though I hate it I just have to smile and deal with it because that's my job."

He watched with wide eyes as she angrily tore his belt from his pants. "Okay..." He wasn't sure what else to say.

"And then you show up, not ogling me like a piece of meat. Not trying to talk me into giving you a hand job behind the bar. Actually looking me in the eye when you speak to me. I forgot that there were guys like you still out there," she went on and then moved the belt over his head so it was looped over the back of his neck. She used it to pull his face back down to hers.

He started toeing off his boots, guessing that his pants would be the next to go and sure enough she tossed the belt into the corner and her hands started working on the button.

"Do you have any idea what kind of turn on it is for a guy to look at me and not turn into a disgusting pig? And you even know that under the slutty clothes and makeup, I'm a complete loser. A nerd. A nobody. And you're still nice."

"I'm nice," he agreed, bunching her oversized shirt up around her hips.

She raised her arms once his pants were undone, giving him the okay to strip her shirt off. She was a talker. There she was, standing there in nothing but her underwear and she wasn't finished explaining herself. "...and then here comes Ed. The big stinking bastard. All that crap he was saying and you, you don't even know me but you weren't going to put up with his crap. You even got hurt because of it. You..."

He kissed her, cutting off her rant and started backing her towards the bed. She made a sound in the back of her throat and then deepened the kiss. She scrambled onto the bed so she was on her knees facing him and he followed suit. He ran his hands up her sides and felt her shiver against him. His thumbs grazed the sides of her breasts and his lips left hers, moving down to her throat.

"I meant what I said. I've never done this before," She whispered.

He sighed and lifted his head. "You sure you wanna do this now? Cause you ain't stopped talkin'."

"Of course I'm sure," she said quickly.

He nodded and made a move to kiss her again but her hands went to his chest, stopping him. He looked up, the epitome of patience.

"How many women have you slept with?"

He felt his face grow hot and he scowled. Did he make up a number in his head or should he be honest with her? He decided to go with honest since she'd just been going on and on about what a good guy he was. "One," he muttered. Now she was going to think he was gonna suck. Truthfully, he very well could but he wasn't going to admit it. He didn't even like thinking about the first woman he'd been with. All Merle's idea and it had been awful.

"One?"

He nodded, unable to hide the fact that he was embarrassed at the strikingly low number.

"Did you use protection?" She asked quickly.

His scowl depend and he nodded. He wouldn't have touched the woman if he hadn't had something to use. He would have used two if he'd had an extra. "Yeah."

"Do you have a condom?"

He cursed under his breath. He wasn't much for going on the prowl to get laid so it wasn't like he carried them around with him. "You ain't got any?"

She shook her head. "I've been on the pill. If you're sure you're clean then it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"I'm clean. Are you clean?"

She nodded. "I told you I've never done this before," she muttered.

He blinked, meeting her eyes. The recycled light coming in from the window was the only illumination in the room but he could see that there was a measure of fear in her eyes. It hit him then, like a slap in the face. "You don't mean.." he shook his head and moved back a little.

She didn't say anything and he backed up a little more, wondering how the hell he had gotten himself into this. She was a fucking virgin? He couldn't do that! He was all about fucking her but he wasn't going to be able to take her goddamn virginity. She didn't even know him!

"Never? You've never done it? Why the hell are you on the pill then?" He asked, biding his time.

She shrugged. "I had a boyfriend at the time and I thought it was better safe than sorry. When we broke up I just stayed on them."

"Goddamn it," he muttered, knowing exactly what he was going to do and feeling like an asshole for it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry about leaving you hanging with that last chapter! Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter Four**

She had drank too much and she was being an idiot. What in the hell was she doing with this guy? And now he looked like he was ready to bolt right out the door and leave her there on the bed in nothing but, she looked down, mortified. In nothing but her fucking smiley face underwear! Oh _God_!

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "This was really stupid." Her shirt was somewhere by the door so she crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to cover herself up.

He glanced over his shoulder towards the door and then ran a hand through his hair. She was surprised when he stopped moving away and actually pulled her against him, his mouth on her throat. She gasped when his hands slipped around her, gripping her ass and anchoring her to him.

"I didn't think you wanted to do this," she breathed when she felt his teeth tug at her earlobe.

"Oh, I wanna do this. I just think you'll regret it later," he said, his voice low.

She thought about that for a second and then she ran her hands down his chest. "I don't think so." And she meant it. To prove her point she slipped her hand down the front of his pants. Her eyes widened. She wasn't a complete innocent. She had messed around with men before but this was different. She wrapped her hand around him, her lips grazing his shoulder and then he groaned into her throat.

"You sure about that?" He asked as he ran one rough hand up her inner thigh.

She nodded, tightening her grip on him when he made it to the juncture of her thighs. The heel of his hand pressed against her, sending a jolt through her. "Oh, wow," she muttered.

He moved until she had no choice but to remove her hand from his pants. She found herself on her back and his head was moving lower and she thought maybe she was going to pass out. Right before he made it to her breast his head came up sharply. "Are you plannin' on breathin' some time tonight?"

She took in a breath, feeling like a complete idiot until he worked his way back down. The breath she had just taken left her in a rush when his lips closed over the peak of one breast, sucking deeply. The sensation that shot through her had her digging her heels into the bed, pushing into him hard. For a second she thought she had done something wrong because he pushed off of her until he was sitting up on his knees. She was about to apologize again but suddenly he had his fingers hooked through her underwear and were pulling them down her legs.

She raised up on her elbows when he unceremoniously shoved her legs further apart. He met her eyes then, indecision on his face. "You know it's gonna hurt, right?"

She nodded eagerly. She knew. She also knew that the pain didn't last long. So, she was expecting the pain. What she wasn't expecting was his head to dip down between her legs and his tongue to move over her in a way that has her crying out. He seemed to fumble for a few seconds, unsure what to actually do down there but then he found that spot and she fisted her hands into his hair, holding him there.

He got the hint pretty fast and he was a quick learner. Her whole body felt flushed, she was actually sweating even though the room was cool and she couldn't keep her stupid mouth shut. A few minutes later her back actually came off the bed and a sharp cry flew from her lips. Her whole body shuddered with the force of the pleasure rushing through her. It rushed through her in waves that were almost crushing and when it tapered off she found herself pushing weakly at his his head.

"Holy fuck," he breathed when he came up onto his knees again.

She was beyond being embarrassed anymore. She sat up, her hand snaking around the back of his neck and then pulling him down with her. He braced himself with his arms, raising his hips as she started shoving his pants down. After a few long moments he was kicking them off.

"You sure about this?" He asked, sounding like he really didn't want to ask at all.

She nodded, pulled his face down to hers and then cried out sharply when he moved his hips forward. In one smooth thrust he was buried inside of her and the pain was, indeed, sharp. Her legs tried to slam together instinctively but, of course, that didn't work.

His body was as frozen as hers seemed to be and a string of curses left his lips as he lifted his head. "I'll stop, you just say the word, alright?"

She blinked back tears and forced herself to relax. He was so sweet and she knew that he meant it. If she told him that she didn't want to do this anymore then he would stop. She shook her head and pulled his face down. He was still tense and when he kissed her this time he seemed to be extra careful, like anything he did from this moment on was going to cause her pain.

 **~H~**

He was too afraid to move. He wasn't even sure if he would be able to if he wanted to. The grip she had on him was intense but he'd be a fucking liar if he tried to act like it didn't feel good. He'd never felt anything so fucking good in his life. It took all the fun out of it knowing that it wasn't the same for her though.

He could feel her muscles start to relax under him. When she tentatively moved her hips, trying to adjust to him, he raised up on his arms, studying her face as he followed her movements. After a few minutes he tested her a little further, moving into her more but keeping his pace painfully slow. He had to bite back the urge to groan out loud. It was difficult to keep himself under control.

Eventually her eyes widened slightly and her lips parted on a gasp. He was no expert but the expression on her face didn't strike him as the look of a woman in pain. Then her legs came up, locking around his waist. After that things became slightly blurred. They moved together, still tentative but with a purpose. The sting of her nails biting into his back spurred him on. This was nothing like the other time he'd done this. Actually, he hadn't done this at all. This was something much different and he was thankful for the alcohol still burning through his system. It desensitized him to the point where he could actually keep this up. If not for that he probably would have came as soon as he got inside her.

He was vaguely aware that the room was growing lighter. He was also aware of the fact that when she kissed him, it was more desperate. Small sounds escaped her and he drank them down. She muttered his name and then her legs tightened around him, drawing him closer before he felt a tremor run through her. He groaned at the sensation and then he cursed harshly when she cried out in surprise, dragging his mouth back up to hers to cut off the sounds.

He felt it then. That tremor from before was nothing compared to this. Her body shuddered and then he felt her unravel under him. Her muscles gripping him even tighter, causing a primal growl to rumble through him. He managed to hang on for a few more seconds but her orgasm was too much. No amount of alcohol could have helped him get through that. He kissed her harder as pleasure knocked the wind out of him. He had to break the kiss because he wasn't getting enough air into his lungs and he was forced to clench his jaw as he buried his face into her neck.

When the sensations finally passed he wasn't even sure he was going to be able to move. Her fingers were tangled in his hair and he was seriously doubting she could even breath since he'd basically collapsed on top of her. He was reluctant to pull away but finally did. She winced but otherwise seemed okay.

He rolled off of her and made a grab for his boxers. He stared at the ceiling for a minute, not sure what the hell he was suppose to say. From the corner of his eye he saw her roll over onto her stomach. He looked over, following the line of her spine down to the curve of her ass and then swallowed hard. The room was even brighter now and he realized, with smug satisfaction, that they had been in there for a long time.

"I need a shower," she mumbled sleepily.

He looked up and chuckled low in his throat. "Feelin' dirty now?"

She raised up on her knees, not a touch of shyness about her now. He folded his arms under his head and eyed her. She had an amazing body and he decided then that he wouldn't mind spending a lot of time staring at it. "I don't feel dirty like you're implying but I do feel dirty. I'm sweaty."

He reluctantly pulled his eyes up from her breasts. "Me too."

She grinned and then pulled on his arm until she was able to get his hand in her grip. She crawled off the bed, tugging him along.

"What the hell are you doin'?" He asked, following her out of the room to a door across the hall.

"Well, we've seen one another naked and it'll save time and water if we both just get clean at the same time," she said, the voice of reason.

A few minutes later he was covered in suds that smelled like her and her hands were all over him. The feel of her, wet and slippery, pressed against him in the fragrant clouds of steam was probably the hottest fucking thing he'd ever experienced in his life. He couldn't stop comparing her to the skanks that he was used to being around because of his brother. It was like she was a different species.

When they finally fell into bed he was more than ready to have her again but figured she'd need some time to recuperate. He wasn't sure how all that worked because she was probably the first virgin he'd ever met over the age of seventeen.

Instead, they went to sleep with the sun shining brightly against the other side of the blinds.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Daryl woke up slowly, smiling to himself at the dream he'd been having. A dream where he went home with a hot bartender and... he opened his eyes, blinking up at an unfamiliar ceiling. He was under an unfamiliar blanket in an unfamiliar room and curled up into his side was the very woman he thought he'd dreamed about.

He glanced at the clock on the nightstand and his eyes widened. It was almost two in the afternoon. He'd slept like the dead too. He raised the blanket and looked down at himself.

Yep. Naked. And she matched. One of her legs was draped over his thighs and her arm was wrapped around his waist. He was comfortable, despite the fact that he was in a woman's bed, naked. A woman that he really didn't even know. A woman that had made his Birthday a damn special occasion.

As slowly as he could he moved her arm and then slid out from under her leg. She mumbled, smiled slightly and then rolled over, curling up on her side and burrowing further into the blanket. His eyes scanned the floor where he found his pants and shirt. He found his boxers in the bathroom. Once he was fully dressed he ran a hand through his hair.

He wasn't sure what he should do. He felt guilty. He'd had too much to drink and he knew that she'd had too much to drink. He had known what he was doing but he had stayed and he had slept with her anyway. She was probably going to hate him when she woke up and he didn't blame her.

Strangely enough, he didn't regret it. Wrong or not, that had been goddamn amazing. He'd never felt anything like that in his life. Not just the physical stuff either. There was all kinds of shit going on while they were together and it confused the fuck out of him and made him feel good at the same time. It was actually some damn scary shit.

He glanced around the kitchen and saw a magnetized pad of paper stuck to the fridge. He pulled it down and quickly scribbled a message. Leaving her there without saying anything was bad enough. At least leaving her a note would lesson some of the guilt. He didn't want her to wake up and think that he didn't want to see her and had bailed.

Even though that was the truth. It wasn't that he didn't want to see her. He did. But he didn't think he could stomach it if she said that it had been a mistake. So this was about the only thing he could do.

He thought about leaving out the front door but then he would risk running into her friend Oscar and he didn't want to have that awkward conversation either. He silently slipped out the back, onto the small metal landing and headed down the back steps to the alley below. He walked around the side of the building and headed towards his house. He only lived a few miles away and it wasn't that cold out.

He stopped. It was a good thing it wasn't cold because he'd left his jacket on the back of her kitchen chair. He looked back at the building but then shook his head. He would get it back eventually. It wasn't like he wouldn't ever see her again.

Blowing out a heavy breath he shoved his hands in his pocket and started walking towards home again. He frowned when he realized his pocket wasn't empty. He wrapped his hand around the soft material and pulled it out, looking down at his hand.

"Oh fuck," he muttered, shoving the panties back into his pocket. He had taken them off of her last night and instead of tossing them over his shoulder like any other red blooded American guy, he'd shoved them into his pocket without thinking. God! Why the hell would he do something like that? The fact that it wasn't a conscious decision to pocket her panties made it even worse! He really was Merle's baby brother. Goddamn it!

He was halfway home when he heard Merle's bike coming up behind him. He stopped and turned just as Merle pulled up to the curb. "Where the hell have you been?" Merle yelled over the roar of his bike.

Daryl huffed and walked towards his brother just as Merle tossed him his keys. He caught them and shoved them into his pocket. He realized he shoved them in the same pocket as Carol's panties and quickly put them in the other one. "What the hell do you mean where have I been? You're the one that left me there last night!"

Merle snorted. "Don't be dramatic. Come on, I'll give you a lift."

Daryl grumbled under his breath. There wasn't nothing worse that riding bitch on the back of Merle's bike. Before he could get on Merle grabbed him by the arm. His eyes narrowing. For one terrifying moment he thought Merle was going to start in on him about where he'd been and what he had done all night.

"Who the hell did that to your face?" He asked, his voice carrying an edge that Daryl knew well. In Merle's head no one could lay a hand on Daryl but Merle himself.

"Some college pricks. Some Ed guy and a few of his buddies," he shrugged but Merle still had a hold of his arm.

"Ed, huh? I know the guy."

"Yep. Your friend Carol's ex. He showed up and started houndin' her."

Merle nodded. "Wouldn't be the first time. I've kicked the bastard's ass myself over that girl."

"Why?" Daryl asked, suddenly curious.

Merle looked at him like he was stupid. "Why what?"

"Why'd you kick some guys ass over some girl?" Merle wasn't the type to give a damn about anybody else.

He shrugged. "She ain't just some girl, asshole. I like her."

Daryl felt anxiety crawl up his spine. Surely Merle didn't like her like her. Not like that. Surely he had to know that she wasn't like the women that he usually went after. "What?" He asked, trying hard to keep his tone casual. "You wanna fuck her or somethin'?"

Merle slapped him in the side of the head and scowled. "Don't talk about her like that you little fucker. She ain't like that and if I catch you tryin' to fuck with her I'll kick your ass. She's one of the good ones. Too damn good for the likes of either of us. We stick to our own kind."

Daryl frowned and jerked his arm out of Merle's grip. If Merle thought that Daryl considered the trash that he hung out with his kind then he was sorely mistaken. Him and Merle neither one were garbage like some of the people that buzzed around them. Sure, they weren't known for their upstanding reputations but Merle had it wrong. Guys like the assholes from the bar last night weren't good enough for her, but he didn't believe it about himself. Without another word he climbed on the back of the bike and headed back to the bar with his brother.

~H~

Carol woke up feeling sore all over. She stretched out some of the kinks and then memories from last night and this morning came rushing to the forefront of her mind and she sat straight up in bed, the blanket falling to her waist.

She was naked. And she was alone. Running a hand through her hair she sighed heavily and tried not to feel too depressed. Seriously, had she honestly expected him to be here when she woke up? She shook her head, cursing herself for the alcohol she had consumed and cursing herself even more for acting like a regular bar whore. Why had she done that? She had managed to not sleep with a man for 23 years. One person in one night blew that record right out of the water.

She glanced at the alarm clock and cursed. It was three in the afternoon. She needed to go pick up a few things from the store and she needed to go to the Library and she needed to get Daryl Dixon out her stupid pathetic head.

She quickly threw on some clothes and went into the bathroom, scowling at her hair. It was everywhere. She'd fallen into bed with it wet this morning and it looked like she had stuck her finger in a light socket. She quickly wrapped it up into a messy bun on top of her head. She would worry about making it look perfect later. She wasn't due to work until ten and she had no one to impress before then.

She opened the fridge and pulled out the bottle of orange juice, slamming the door with her foot. She turned back when she noticed that there was a note scrawled on the pad of paper that usually hung there blank.

 _Hey,_

 _I had some shit to do and didn't want to wake you up. Maybe I'll see you around sometime. Thanks for letting me crash._

 _D._

She stared at the note for a long time, her face flaming with embarrassment. She thought maybe it would have been better if he had left without leaving a note. _Thanks for letting me crash_. Why didn't he just write, _Thanks for letting me fuck you._ Or _Your virginity was a great Birthday gift. Gotta run now. Have a nice life._

She wadded up the paper and threw in the trash. Blaming him was convenient but really she had no one to blame but herself. Maybe she had been a little drunk but she remembered that he hadn't been one hundred percent sure about sleeping with her. She was the one that had shoved him into her room to begin with. She'd even kissed him first. If you could even call that a kiss at all.

No, this wasn't his fault. This was all on her. She sat down at the table, pulling her legs up to her chest and then turned, feeling something behind her. His leather jacket was still draped over the back of the chair. She turned back and blew a stray strand of hair out of her face.

Today was going to suck.


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm having serious internet issues! Hopefully they'll be fixed soon! For any of you reading it, I'm updating Animals tomorrow as long as my internet cooperates! Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter Six**

She shoved the stack of books into her bag and headed out the door that led to the hallway. As soon as her door was closed Oscar's door opened up and he stepped out. He met her eyes from across the hall and then he grinned.

"How was the rest of your night?" He asked, eying her.

She frowned. "It was fine. How was yours?"

He shrugged and looked up at her from under his brow. "I think you mighta had a little more fun than me. I sat up watching old reruns. Merle Dixon's little brother, huh? I gotta say, I didn't think you had it in you."

Her mouth dropped open and her face heated up. "Don't you dare tell anyone! Did you see us coming up?"

He shook his head. "Nah, but I figured that was who was causing all that racket over there since the last time I saw you he was the one you were with."

"Oh my God," she wailed.

He chuckled and elbowed her as they headed down the steps. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me, alright. Honestly, I worry about you, kid. Other than while you're working, I never see you really talking to anyone. You don't go out on your nights off. It's good for you to have a little fun every now and then. And damn if I'm not glad you chose the brother. Merle Dixon is a pain in my damn ass."

She didn't say anything else because she was too embarrassed. If only Oscar knew what had really happened. She'd made a total ass of herself. Instead of going through the bar they both headed out the back door.

"You need a ride somewhere?" He asked, strolling towards his car.

She shook her head and pulled her cardigan tighter around herself to stave off the chill. "It's nice out. I'd rather walk."

"I'll see you tonight, Carol," he called as he got behind the wheel.

She walked around the side of the building, shouldering the heavy bag of books and not even glancing at the bar. She had to look at the place enough. She took in a deep breath of the crisp air and couldn't help but smile when the smell of fall filled her lungs. Dead leaves swirled around her feet as she made her way down the sidewalk. This was her favorite time of year.

It didn't take her long to find some good books at the library. It took more time to get away from the Librarian. The same one that had been there since Carol had been a little girl. She had a lonely job and she always kept her for a long time even after she checked out her books. But she was finally free. She kept walking for a while, her book load lighter this time. She wasn't ready to go back to her apartment and she wasn't ready to go to work so she stopped at a little Bistro and ordered onion soup and the biggest coffee they had. They had plenty of tables set up outside and she settled down with her soup and her book.

She got lost in the story for a while but lost her concentration when she noticed a group of girls take up the seats at the next table. She ignored their idle chatter. She knew that they were college students. She could just tell by the way they carried themselves and the snippets of conversation she was able to hear.

A small part of her envied them. She'd dreamed of college at one time but after the sudden death of her parents, she had been slammed with the reality that she would never be able to afford it. It had taken every ounce of her savings to pay off their debts and that was all she'd had left after the funeral expenses and everything else she'd had to handle. They hadn't owned their home. They had rented and their car had been lease.

She had been left penniless and basically orphaned only three weeks after he eighteenth birthday. She was strong, however, and she had persevered. There hadn't really been any other choice. She lost herself in books and she worked. That was her life. It wasn't a bad life, either. Others would look at it like she should be lonely or sad about how things had turned out for her, but she didn't feel either.

She noticed several times that when the girl's voices grew quieter, they were looking right at her, giving her the feeling that she was the subject of their whispering. It reminded her of high school and finally she shoved her book into her bag and got up, heading back to her apartment so she could transform herself into some smokey eyed vixen.

She shook her head at the thought.

Before she got a few feet away from her table she heard the roar of bikes rounding the corner. She stopped when she saw who it was. Merle spotted her and then pulled up to the curb. Daryl was with him. She wondered how cold he was, riding a motorcycle in this chilly weather without his jacket. He met her eyes, glanced at his brother, and then looked down.

"Where you headin'?" Merle called with a grin.

She shouldered the bag and then made her way towards them, making sure she didn't look at Daryl again. She didn't want Merle to know what had happened and she didn't really trust herself not to give them away somehow. "Home. I have to work tonight and it takes a while to turn this into that," she smiled and pulled on her loose fitting sweater.

Merle snorted. "You wanna ride?"

She chewed on her lip for a second and then saw his eyes move to something behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and realized that all the girls that had been at the table next to hers were now staring dumbstruck at the men in front of her. She smiled. "Sure."

He offered his hand and she climbed on behind him. She finally glanced at Daryl but he was busy chewing his nails and waiting on his brother to pull out. With a sigh and a twinge of regret in her chest she wrapped her arms around Merle's waist and then they took off, going way too fast down the familiar streets.

~H~

Daryl couldn't believe this shit. Running right into her like that on the street. He felt like a fucking dick and a half. Why hadn't he just woken her up and at least said goodbye? He was an asshole. A grade A asshole. And they were pulling up to the back of the bar, which didn't make any sense.

She climbed off Merle's bike and offered him a smile that didn't meet her eyes. "Thanks Merle. I'll see you tonight." Without a word to Daryl she turned and walked towards the stairs.

Merle watched her wordlessly. "Hey!" He called when she made it to the stairs. She turned, raising a brow at him. He ran a hand over his head. "Can I use your John? I gotta piss."

Daryl frowned. Why the fuck was he asking her to use her bathroom?

"Sure," she said, motioning him to follow her.

He hopped off the bike and Daryl followed suit. His nerves were kicked up. They filed into the kitchen and then she shut the door.

"I've known you for almost a year and you've never tried to get into my apartment, Merle Dixon. Why are you starting now?" She asked, opening the fridge and pulling out a beer, handing it to Merle.

Daryl just stood there awkwardly. She was pointedly ignoring him and he knew it and that was okay. She had every right to be upset. He hated feeling like this, though. He wanted to talk to her but he couldn't say a damn thing in front of Merle cause it was clear that Merle had some sort of spot in that cold dead heart of his for this woman.

Merle took the beer and twisted the top, leaning into the counter. "I heard about what happened last night," he said before taking a long pull from the bottle.

Daryl stiffened and he saw Carol tense. Her wide eyes flicked to him but he shook his head slightly. "Last night?" She asked, sounding as anxious as he felt. Apparently she didn't want anyone to know about what happened. He was slightly offended.

Merle nodded. "Ed and his buddies."

"Oh!" She snorted and waved him off. "That was nothing. I'm used to him. You know that."

Merle narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, but if that ain't what's wrong with you then what is it? I know it's somethin'. I'm observant."

She shook her head. "I'm fine. A little tired. I didn't get much sleep last night and-"

"Little brother, is that your jacket?"

Daryl's heart sank as he followed Merle's gaze to the back of the chair. He looked up into Merle's steady gaze and he opened his mouth to finally spill everything that had happened and take the beating but Carol beat him to it.

"Is it? I found it draped over one of the chairs before I closed up. I didn't want anyone to steal it so I brought it up."

Daryl nodded, walked to the chair and picked it up, examining it closely. "Sure as shit is. Thanks."

She nodded and turned her attention back to Merle. "I thought you needed to use the bathroom?"

Nodding he sat the beer down. "Point the way."

She motioned towards the archway. "Hallway off the living room, the door on the right."

He left the room and Daryl poked his head into the living room, making sure Merle was out of earshot. He turned quickly. She wasn't looking at him. She was taking a stack of books out of the bag she'd dumped onto the table.

"You're mad," he said, keeping his voice as quiet as possible.

She glanced up, smiled slightly and shook her head. "No I'm not. We had fun. Fun was over and you left. No big deal."

He scowled and poked his head around again. "I left a note," he muttered, feeling even worse.

She nodded. "I found it. That was nice. Thank you."

He cursed under his breath. "Damn, it, would you quit that shit. I'm sorry, okay?"

She nodded, stacking the books and pushing them out of the way. "I'm sorry that you feel like you have to apologize. I already told you that it's no big deal."

"It is a big deal! Look, I should have woke you up to tell you I was leavin'. I didn't-"

"Would you please drop it?" She asked, her wide eyes meeting his for the first time.

He looked away. He'd really fucked this up. He never should have came up here because now he'd managed to hurt her and he hadn't meant to do that at all and his goddamn brother was making it hard to talk to her at all.

"Carol, can we just-"

"Nice place. I didn't expect it to be. I've visited my share of bar apartments and thought it'd be a dump," Merle said, stepping back into the room.

Daryl cursed under his breath.

"No dump. I love this apartment."

"Well, if you ain't gonna be honest and let a man know what's botherin' your ass then I suppose we'll be headin' out. You sure you don't need me to crack somebody's skull for you?"

She glanced at Daryl briefly and then offered Merle a smile. "No Merle. But it's sweet of you to offer."

He nodded. "Anytime." He ruffled her hair on his way by and waved for Daryl to follow him.

Daryl watched the exchange with wide eyes and then followed Merle out the door. He glanced over his shoulder, she waved and then shut the door. Goddamn, why did he feel so bad? He hadn't meant to hurt her goddamn feelings. He wasn't used to women even having any! The ones Merle was prone to hanging out with sure as fuck didn't.

"Goddamn, boy. What's with the long face?" Merle asked as he straddled his bike.

Daryl shook his head. "Nothin'. Let's get the fuck outta here."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Carol reached up, putting the last strand of hair in place. She adjusted her top and then sighed at her reflection. She wasn't recognizable as the same girl that had visited the library this morning. She was someone else. She had a role to play here and she was a damn fine actress. She'd felt down all day but she couldn't let that bother her anymore.

On one hand she was glad that he had seemed at least a little bit remorseful about running off this morning. There was at least that. And she wasn't sure why she was so upset anyway. She didn't even know him. All she knew about him was that he was the brother of her friend. He was 21 years old. He was kind enough to stick up for people. Oh, and even though she didn't have anything to compare it to, she was pretty sure that he was very good in bed.

She sighed heavily and left her apartment, running into Oscar again. They worked the same shift every night. He nodded, she nodded back and then they both made their way to the bar. It was just as crowded as she had expected it to be.

She was surprised to see the owner, Tom, behind the bar, pouring drinks for a particularly rowdy bunch that started whooping when Carol stepped into view. Merle winked and she offered him a broad smile, shaking her head at his antics. "Tom, you decide that owning the place was too dull? Why are you back here?" She asked.

He turned, looking flustered but relieved to see her. "You and Oscar are both behind the bar tonight, darlin'. That asshole that was suppose to cover the day shift bailed. I'm firin' his ass after this. You two keep your ear out for fights because this place is too packed for you to handle it all on your own."

Carol nodded and slipped in, remembering what drinks most of them preferred without them having to say a word. She slammed two shot glasses down in front of Merle and quickly filled them. She tapped his with her own and downed the drink. They both slammed their glasses down. He grinned like he always did but the smile faltered when she poured another one.

"Two in a row?" Merle asked, his brows pulling together in a frown.

She slid his over and nodded, taking the other shot as quickly as the first. It didn't make her feel any better but the burn took her mind off her problems for a while.

"You alright?" Merle asked, sliding the shot glass towards her.

She nodded. "I'm fine. I gotta go take care of these maniacs. You mind your manners Merle, or you'll get tossed out on your ass." She winked and then went to work, mixing, pouring and talking with the others. She would get through the night and then tomorrow she would watch old movies and she would curl up on her couch with a new book and she'd forget that last night ever happened.

~H~

Daryl glared at the door. Who the fuck was pounding away on the front door at eleven at night? He pushed the threadbare curtain aside and scowled so hard his face hurt. "Are you fucking serious?" He hissed under his breath as he threw the door open.

"Hey there, younger Dixon. Where the hell is that brother of yours?"

Daryl moved as Merle's idiot friend Axel strolled in with two women. One just happened to be the one he had spent about fifteen minutes with over a year ago. "He's at the goddamn bar just like he is most nights. What the hell are you doin' here?"

The woman, he was pretty sure her name was Anne smiled at him. She was about ten years older than him, closer to Merle's age than his and she had that fanatical look in her eye that most drug addicts had when they were pretty messed up on the hard stuff. She wasn't ugly, or she hadn't been, but the life she lived had taken a toll on her looks. Her hair was frizzy and brittle, there were bags under her eyes that hadn't been there even a year ago, she was rail thin and she had a weird twitch about her that creeped him out. Maybe she hadn't been anyone's first choice back then when he had fucked her but she was flat out fucking gross now.

And now she was pressed up against him before he could back away from her. "How've you been?"

For some strange reason an image of Carol popped into his head. Clear blue eyes and her quick smile. He pointed to the door. "You all can find Merle at the Bird. I was about to go to bed so..."

"Is that a hint?" Anne asked, her eyes raking over him.

He shook his head. "No," he deadpanned. "Out. All of you."

Axel held up his hands. "Okay, okay. We're goin'. Probably won't go to the Bird though. Last time I was there I tried to hit on the bartender and Oscar and Merle both just about broke my neck."

Daryl felt his jaw clench. "She's out of your league anyway, asshole."

Axel shrugged. "Course she is, but can't blame a guy for trying." He backed out the door.

The other woman coughed loudly and then rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. It didn't look like she was impressed with his assessment of Carol but he didn't care. These people were exactly what he had been talking about. They were trash. Him and his brother weren't. Once they were out the door he slammed it shut.

He knew it was pointless but he turned off the light and stomped to his room. He didn't even bother taking off his clothes. He flopped down gracelessly on his bed and stared up at the ceiling, willing himself to be sleepy. He'd had a fucked up day and he was ready for it to be over.

An hour and a half later he was on his bike, cursing himself for the decisions he had made the night before, cursing his brother for dragging him out to that stupid bar in the first place and cursing Carol for her bright idea. Because he was okay with just the messing around. She'd been the one that wanted to take shit further and now he was the one that was stuck feeling like a goddamn asshole because of it.

And he had every intention of telling her that too. As soon as he got her alone for five seconds. Once he got there he realized that was going to be a lot harder than he thought. The place was a lot more packed then it had been the night before. He made his way past the pool tables and wound through throngs of people until he finally reached the bar. It was packed but he managed to find an empty spot at the end close to the hallway that led to the bathrooms.

He tried to play it cool. He tried to look like he wasn't seeking her out but it wasn't easy.

"What can I get for ya, Romeo?"

Daryl looked up sharply and saw Oscar standing there. The look that the big man was giving him wasn't exactly friendly but he wasn't openly glaring at him either.

Oscar inclined his head to the other end of the long counter. "She's down there. Saturdays ain't the best times to try to talk to her. People come out of the woodwork around this town to come down here on a Saturday night. Everybody loves the girl. So she's busy and she's gonna be for a while. What do you want to drink?"

"Beer," he muttered, settling down on the stool. "What the hell's your problem anyway?" He asked, knowing that Oscar had one and knowing that it was with him. No reason to beat around the bush.

Oscar sat a mug down in front of him. "No problem at all. Unless you prove to be the reason that she's upset. We'll have a problem then. She's one of the best damn people I've ever met and if somebody hurts her they got a lot of people to deal with."

Daryl took a drink and then slammed his mug down on the table. "You too, huh?"

Oscar eyed him. "What the hell you mean, me too?"

Daryl shook his head. "My brother apparently feels the same way. What the hell is it about this girl that's got all you burly bastards up in arms over her?"

Oscar shrugged and then walked away. Daryl scowled down into his glass, wondering if he should just say fuck it and go on home. He wasn't going to get a chance to talk to her tonight anyway. And at this point, if someone seen them talking at all he'd end up getting his ass kicked.

He finished his beer and looked up just in time to see her breeze past, stepping out from behind the bar and into the hallway. A quick look around proved that no one was paying attention so he hauled ass after her.

The bathroom door was just shutting so he put his foot in the gap, stopping it. This was perfect. Now nobody would come down the hall and see them. If Merle caught him he'd have hell to pay. He pushed the door open.

"What the-" Her startled voice trailed off when he slammed the door behind himself. "Daryl? What are you doing?"

He locked the door. His eyes swept over her and again he was surprised at how completely she could transform from one person to another. "I needed to talk to you," he said quickly.

She shook her head. "Well, you can do that when I'm not on the clock. We're swamped out there and-"

"Goddamn it, I'm sorry, alright? I told you that earlier."

She nodded. "And I said it was fine."

"But it ain't fine. I got Merle sniffin' around and Oscar basically just threatened me out there if I'm the reason that you're upset. Meanin' that you are upset and I know it's my fault. So what the hell can I do to fix this shit so you ain't upset anymore?"

"Get out," she said, her blue eyes flashing, surprising him.

"What? No! I came down here to talk to you and I can't fuckin' talk to you out there so we're gonna talk here."

"I don't know what you want me to say!" She hissed, trying to move around him. "I already told you that it's no big deal. I don't know what the hell they're talking about because I am completely fine. You know what, you have a lot of nerve coming down here and locking me in a bathroom because you're overblown ego has you believing that you're worth even getting upset over. I don't even know you! And the sex wasn't even that good, so there. Maybe you need to get on your bike, take your self serving ass back to your house, call up one of your brother's whore girlfriends and stop pining over me!"

He gaped at her, stunned speechless that she even had that much bitterness in her. Especially because of him. And she was liar too cause the sex had been goddamn great. He'd been there. "That what you want?" He asked, his voice just as cold as hers. "Cause trust me, you're already provin' to be more goddamn trouble than you're worth."

"That's exactly what I want," she snapped. "I want you to go back to whatever hole you crawled out of last night and I want you to stop thinking that anything I'm upset about has to do with you."

He nodded. "I can do that. Have a nice life, lady." He opened the door, stepping around a woman that was apparently waiting to go to the bathroom.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

She was so shocked at her own words that she stood their staring at the closed door for a few long seconds before hurrying out. She couldn't believe she had been so cruel to him. And for what? The hallway was deserted other than the one woman that slipped into the bathroom after she came out. She was certain he wouldn't have lingered at the bar. He wasn't the type. She'd told him to go and he would have left.

She hurried behind the bar, grabbing Oscar by the arm. "I need a minute, are you okay on your own?" She asked quickly. It looked like the crowd was finally thinning out and he nodded. She didn't wait around for him to change his mind. She weaved through the people and hurried out the door.

She cursed as her eyes scanned the parking lot and she didn't see him right away. She was about to turn around and head back inside when movement to her right caught her attention. He was walking towards a bike that was parked in a dark corner of the lot. "Hey!" She called out loudly.

He stiffened and then turned and then, to her amazement, he flipped her off. Her mouth dropped open. She supposed she deserved it. He turned back around and straddled the bike, kick starting it quickly.

She hurried over but she was wearing heels and heels were hard enough to walk in, let alone run. He walked the bike out of the spot, ignoring her, and was about to pull away. She did the only thing she could think of doing. She pulled off one her shoes and threw it as hard as she could. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands when it smacked him hard right in the back of the head.

He stopped, turned the bike off and then swung his leg over, his eyes scanning the ground until they zeroed in on her shoe. He picked it up, glared at her and then turned, throwing it, much further than she ever could have, towards the trees on the other side of the parking lot. She looked down at her one bare foot and cursed. When she looked back up he was standing there with his hands on his hips, still glaring.

She pulled off her other shoe and walked towards him, not stopping until she was just a few feet away.

"What the hell do you want, Carol?" He asked and she could tell by the sound of his voice that he wasn't just talking about now. "You tell me to go, I was goin', and then you hit me in the head with a goddamn shoe. What. The fuck. Do you want?" He was clearly annoyed.

She shifted from one bare foot to the other and looked down. "I didn't mean what I said... I mean, I did. But some of the stuff was a lie. Like, I think the sex was really good. I mean, for me. It was... it was good. I can't really say if it..." Her voice trailed off and she flushed.

His lips twitched but he still looked angry. "What the fuck do you want?" He asked again, his voice filled with quiet exasperation.

She swallowed hard. "I felt bad when I woke up and you were gone. About myself I mean. I used to feel that way a lot and then when I started working here I started feeling different about myself. And then when you were gone I thought that maybe you just saw some easy conquest. Just some insecure loaner that you could screw and then walk out on. It kind of made me feel like I used to feel. I shouldn't have expected you to be there but you were... nice. I thought..." She shook her head, frustrated with her inability to tell him what she wanted to tell him. "Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry for saying that stuff to you in the bathroom."

"That ain't the reason I went up there with you. It wasn't the reason I came back to the bar in the first place. You still didn't answer the fuckin' question. What do you want?"

She blinked, feeling so stupid. "I want you to come back inside."

"That ain't what I meant," he said, still looking angry.

She nodded. "I know. But it's all I've got at the moment."

He glanced over his shoulder. "You hit me with a shoe."

She nodded. "I'm sorry about that too but you flipped me off and was going to drive away before I could apologize."

He ran a hand through his hair. "I ain't much in the mood for getting drunk again."

She wished he'd change his mind but she understood. He was right when he had said that she was more trouble than she was worth. She had acted like a crazy woman. "I understand." She offered him a smile and turned around, heading back towards the bar. She really shouldn't have thrown her shoe at him.

Her steps faltered when suddenly he was walking next to her. She glanced over. "I thought you didn't feel like drinking?" She asked, her stomach doing a strange little flip.

He shrugged. "I don't."

"Then why are you coming back inside?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea."

She felt herself smile a real smile for the first time all day. She didn't know why the thought of him staying was causing her to smile. She decided not to over think it though or she would start talking too much and make herself look even more stupid than she already had.

~H~

He felt a little bad for throwing her shoe. The seat he had abandoned earlier when he had followed her to the bathroom was still empty so he sat down. She went around, not even glancing his way, going straight to Oscar. She pointed down to her feet and the big man laughed and shook his head. On her way past him she stopped.

"I have to go get another pair of shoes but I'll be right back. Are you staying for a while?" She asked hurriedly.

He nodded and then watched as she grinned and then bit her lip before hurrying down the hall.

"What did you say to her?" Oscar asked, leaning into the bar and glancing towards the doorway she disappeared through.

He shrugged. "Nothin'."

Oscar snorted and shook his head, "Well, whatever the hell it was, good job. She seems okay now."

Daryl sighed. "Can I get a coke?"

Oscar raised a brow at him. "With nothin' in it?"

"Nope. Just a coke."

"You're gonna sit here and drink cokes waiting for her to get off? I had you pegged all wrong, boy."

Daryl narrowed his eyes but Oscar just smiled good naturedly and readied his drink. He really didn't want to sit here all night but he also didn't think he could bring himself to leave. She seemed okay now but he wanted to make sure she knew that whatever the hell happened last night, it hadn't been him just using her to get his rocks off. It bothered him to no end that she thought that in the first place. He wasn't that guy.

"What the hell are you doin' here?"

Daryl glanced over and shrugged at his brother. He was surprised that he hadn't seen him before now since the crowd was less dense. "Got bored. Couldn't sleep."

Merle slapped him on the back and grinned. "Well I'll be damned. Guess who else is here?"

Daryl shrugged. "Lot's a people."

Merle scowled. "Don't be a smart ass. Anne showed up, said they'd went to the house looking for me and you said I'd be here. Is that what brought you all the way down here? You thinkin' of quick hittin' that again?"

Daryl scowled.

"Who's Anne?"

Both Dixon's looked up at the sound of Carol's curious voice. Oh God, this was going to be embarrassing as fuck. Merle grinned. "You've seen her a time or two. She's the tweeker that hangs around with Axel and that crowd. Daryl fucked her at a party last year."

Daryl felt his face flame and Carol's eyes slid over and met his. "Oh my," she said, her eyes wide. "I don't mean to overstep my bounds here but you could do much much better than that."

He narrowed his eyes at her.

Merle laughed. "No he couldn't. He's an awkward little fucker. I think after a few minutes with loose Anne, he's scared to death of pussy."

Carol sighed and patted his hand. "Those cokes are free tonight, Daryl Dixon. You poor thing." She walked away then and he could have sworn that there was a more defined swing to her ass. She grinned at him from over her shoulder.

"You better put your eyeballs back in that head of yours boy," Merle warned, sitting down next to him.

Daryl glanced at him. "Why? You tellin' me you ain't noticed that woman's ass? Fuck you Merle. I'll look all I want. She ain't yours."

Merle shook his head. "Do I really gotta warn you again? Leave her the hell alone."

Daryl was about sick of Merle's shit. He could see it if he had a thing for her himself and he thought maybe Daryl was going to go for it, but he knew Merle. He wasn't interested in her like that. It was something else and it was pissing him off. "Why the fuck are you so goddamn hell bent on keepin' me away from that girl? It ain't like you to give a goddamn about people."

He saw a muscle in Merle's jaw clench hard and knew he was about five seconds away from getting his nose broken, but he wanted to know. It was fucking weird. And it wasn't just Merle either. Oscar had threatened him over her too. What was it about her that had all these goddamn assholes up in arms.

"You see that man over there?" Merle pointed to an old man standing close to the jukebox. He looked to be in his sixties at least, wearing a leather jacket similar to his own, with a bandana. He was talking to a couple of other old timers.

Daryl shrugged. "That's Marv Kessler. What about him?"

Merle's eyes were on the man now. "About six months ago he lost his wife. Been married for forty three years. Up until she'd gotten too sick to go out, she was a regular here. Well, once she was bedridden, they both stopped comin' around, ya know. Anyway, Carol, she noticed them missin' and started askin' around. When she found out what happened she went right to their house. Spent her days before work helpin' out around their house, cookin' meals. She took care of that woman. Read her books. Changed her. And she didn't do it cause she had to. She did it cause she's Carol and that's the kind of shit she does. After the woman died she was right there for Ol Marv. They didn't have no kids of their own but Carol, man, she made the last few months real good ones for Marv's lady. She died comfortable in her own damn bed cause Carol was there to help."

"Goddamn," Daryl muttered, feeling like maybe he did need a beer.

"Oscar over there, he was sleepin' in his goddamn car. Wife had divorced him and got full custody of his kids. He lost his house, his job and was so goddamn fucked up that he woulda been dead by now for sure. Carol happened by one day and saw him curled up in the backseat, dead of winter. She came straight here and talked to Tom, begged the bastard to give the man a shot. She didn't even know his goddamn name. But here he is. Got his shit back together and he gets his kids every other weekend. She didn't have to do that shit. But she did."

Daryl looked up at the sound of her laughter, and watched as she took the bar rag and slapped some guy with it before handing him his change.

"That ain't it. I could spend all goddamn night pointin' out people that she helped at one time or another. She's just good, goddamn it. I ain't never seen so much fuckin' good in a person in my whole shitty fucked up life, and if I catch you eye fuckin' her, I ain't the only one that's gonna rip your goddamn head off for it."

Daryl nodded, feeling like the worst asshole in the world.

"What I said before, that wasn't right though. It ain't that you ain't good enough. It just boils down to track records, man. We're Dixons. You know what that means as good as I do. Our own worst enemies. You get mixed up with her, you'll just end up hurtin' her. You hurt her, well, it just ain't right. She deserves better than some flighty mother fucker that's never even had a girlfriend."

Daryl drank his coke and stared off into space for a few minutes.

"Matter of fact, I think somebody's done put the moves on her and hurt her already. She ain't been right tonight."

Daryl swallowed hard, looked over just as she looked up at him. She smiled, her face turning pink and he looked away, feeling like someone had punched him in the stomach.


	9. Chapter 9

**I know that some of you really love the angst but I suck at maintaining it. I guess I feel like the show offers enough heartache so I'm not really a fan of dragging it out in stories. Hope you enjoy this chapter regardless! Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter Nine**

She felt better. Somehow this loud obnoxious crowd had that effect on her, and the fact that Daryl was still there made things a little better too. She wanted to talk to him more. She wished the night would go by a little faster so she could. The likelihood of that happening before three in the morning was slim. Saturdays were her busiest nights.

"Why the long face?" She asked him once she had a free moment.

He looked up, studying her face before shrugging. "Nothin'."

She put her elbows on the table and leaned a little closer, she saw his eyes slide down to her chest and then back up again quickly, meeting hers. "So, is that really the only other woman you've slept with?" She asked, knowing that it was mean but she couldn't help it.

He made a face and nodded. "She looked better then, if that counts for anything.

She grinned and then shook her head. "It really doesn't."

"Shut up. And stop talkin' to me before every man in this damn bar comes to kick my ass. Merle included."

She glanced around and sure enough, Merle was at the pool tables, his eyes narrowed and zeroed in on the back of Daryl's head. She frowned. "He really wants you to stay away from me?"

Daryl snorted. "Yeah. He really does."

She met his eyes again. "And what do you want? You made it a point to ask me that question. What about you?"

"You never answered the damn question," he countered.

She took a deep breath. "Fair enough."

He held her gaze for a long time before smiling slightly. "Well?"

"You," she deadpanned, her face flushing.

His smile died and something like regret showed in his eyes. It kind of made her think that she had made a big mistake in her admission.

"What about you?" She asked, her voice quiet.

His eyes locked onto hers then and he took a deep breath before blowing it out slowly. "Same."

She blinked and then jumped when someone down the bar called her name. She finally tore her gaze away from his, her heart thundering fast in her chest.

~H~

Why the fuck did he say that? Did he have a goddamn death wish? Merle had even gone out of his way to explain to him why he should just leave her alone but it hadn't work. If anything, it made him want her that much more. He hadn't seen enough good in people in his life and just knowing how she really was, made him that much more determined to get to know her better.

Who the hell was Merle to tell him who he could and couldn't be with anyway? Would his brother seriously rather see him with a goddamn skank like Anne? Surely he would want better for his only brother for fucks sake.

"I'm headin' out," Merle said, jarring him out of his thoughts.

"I'll head that way eventually," Daryl said, picking at a splinter on the wooden bar.

"What the hell are you doin' here, little brother?"

Daryl looked up at him, unsure what he was suppose to say. "What? You can spend all your time at bars but I can't?"

Merle shrugged. "I was drinkin'. Don't look to me like you've had a drop of alcohol and you've barely left this damn stool. You shot one game of pool with me and then left me hangin'."

Daryl shrugged.

"Keep your goddamn nose clean, you got me?" Merle said, eying him and then glancing towards Carol.

Daryl rolled his eyes but nodded. "I hear ya, Merle."

He walked away and Daryl wasn't surprised to see him put his arm around some blonde chick, leading her towards the door. It was a different woman than he'd been with the night before and Daryl found himself wondering how Merle did it. Just a different face in his bed all the time. Maybe there was something wrong with Daryl. He figured maybe a lot of guys would think that that was the life, being able to screw bitches and stay fucked up all the time.

He shook his head and continued to pick at the bar absently. He knew that Merle would think it was stupid as fuck, but he wanted more than that. He hadn't even known he wanted more than that until he left that goddamn apartment. He didn't want to feel that way either. He didn't want to want more.

"Daryl?"

He looked up and was surprised to see that she was frowning at him. "What?"

"Where did you go? The bar has been basically empty for twenty minutes."

He glanced around and realized that there wasn't anyone else there. Oscar was at the other end of the room wiping down tables and stacking chairs. "Damn," he muttered, shifting in the seat because his ass was starting to hurt from him planting it there for hours.

She nodded towards Oscar. "He's about to go up. I can't believe you've been here all this time." She smiled.

He shrugged. "Nothin' better to do. I tried to sleep at home but it didn't work. Then I got insulted and hit in the head with a shoe and then threatened by my brother. So why the hell not sit on a bar stool all night?"

She flushed and looked down. "If it makes you feel any better, I feel awful about it."

He laughed, shaking his head at her sheepish look. "I bet you do."

"I'm headin' up," Oscar said as he passed them.

"Night," Carol called after him. She glanced back up at Daryl. "I just have to put the rest of these bottles up and then I'm done."

"Then what?" He asked, genuinely curious. He didn't know what the hell they were going to do now. Go back up to her apartment? Leave?

"Whatever you want to do. I haven't really had a chance to talk to you or anything and I think maybe that would be a good idea."

He groaned and hopped off the stool, coming around the bar and helping her put the bottles back on the mirrored shelf. "That ain't never somethin' a man wants to hear. Especially if your idea of talkin' is what happened in the bathroom tonight."

"I don't plan on yelling at you. I don't usually yell at people. You're kind of frustrating," she said with an easy grin.

"So are you."

He glanced back at her and out of nowhere had the overwhelming urge to kiss her. So he grabbed the bottle out of her hand, sat it down and did just that. She made a surprised sound in the back of her throat but then her hands went to his shoulders and she kissed him back.

Her lips parted so he deepened the kiss. He was hyper aware of her hands at the moment. They slid from his shoulders to his neck. She was pressed against him firmly. Well, this was escalating. It hadn't been his intention to get all hot and bothered but that was happening pretty fast.

He jumped away from her when he heard the front door open. Again, she'd left it unlocked. When he heard his brother's voice he felt panicked. That panic escalated when she shoved him towards the bar.

"Get down!" She hissed.

He dropped so no one could see him. He rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair as he sat back on his haunches. He was situated under a part of the bar that had a ledge, giving more room for the bartenders to mix more than one drink at a time without taking up too much room on the bar.

"How many goddamn times have a told you to lock the fuckin' doors, Carol? Oscar ain't even down here. I coulda been that sack of shit ex of yours."

"You're right, Merle. I'll be more careful next time," she said, her voice slightly strained.

Daryl could hear more than one set of steps approaching the bar and frowned. Who the hell was Merle with anyway? He'd seen him leave with that girl a while ago so why was he back?

"What are you doing back anyway?" Carol asked, reading his mind.

"Quicky in that chicks convertible. I left my damn jacket in here and my keys are in it."

"Gross, Merle," Carol said, leaning into the counter so he couldn't see anything from the waist up. Then he realized that her skirt was pretty goddamn short and she was right there in front of him.

"Hey, where's my brother? His bike's still here."

Daryl cursed under his breath but couldn't help but run his gaze up her thighs.

"I didn't see him. He was talking to a woman earlier. Maybe he went home with her," she said quickly.

Daryl ran his hands up her thighs and then grinned when she cleared her throat loudly and shifted on her feet.

Merle snorted. "Not him. I swear that kid wouldn't know what to do with a woman if they came with instructions."

Daryl's eyes followed his hands as the skirt slid up. Her hands came into view, pushing it back down and then swatting at him. He ignored her and finally her hands disappeared. She wasn't wearing any smiley face panties this time. These matched her work clothes better. Black, sheer, giving him an incredible fucking view.

"You okay?" Merle asked. "Your face is awful red. You that scandalized over me fuckin' some chick in the parkin' lot? I forget that you're such a damn virgin," he chuckled.

"I... it's just a little hot in here," she said, her voice sounding slightly breathless.

Daryl growled low in his throat and unconsciously decided that the temptation was just too goddamn much. He slid the panties down her legs and without a second thought buried his face between her thighs.

"Oh my God," she whimpered.

"You say somethin'?" Merle asked, sounding further away.

"No. Did you find it?" She asked, trying hard to control her voice.

"Not yet. I know the damn thing is around here somewhere," he grumbled.

Daryl ran his tongue over her slowly, his hands gripping her hips. She was trembling slightly and he could only imagine the hard time she was having keeping her face schooled. He used his knee to push one of her legs so they were spread more.

"Got it," Merle called from the other side of the room. "You want me to stick around until you're done? Axel don't mind, do you?"

Daryl quickened his pace, not knowing why the hell he'd started doing this to her. It was kind of mean, but he hadn't been able to not do it.

"No, no no no, I'm fine. Just lock up, please. I'm about finished," she said, trying hard to keep her voice under control. It wasn't working.

"Okay then. You need to get some sleep, girl. You look peeked as fuck."

As soon as he heard the door close her hand slid into his hair and he heard her other one slam onto the counter top above him. She came hard, her legs slamming together but he was still able to continue, just with a little more difficulty. She was silent, except for her heavy breathing and occasional moan.

He sat back on his haunches, grinning to himself before he crawled out from under the bar. She slapped him in the back of the head on his way up.

"I can't believe you just did that!" She hissed, her eyes like saucers, her cheeks flushed and her chest still heaving.

He held her gaze for a long time before his eyes flicked to the bar. She gaped at him. He nodded, taking a step towards her.


	10. Chapter 10

**A lot of this chapter is basically mindless smut. Lol I apologize in advance!**

 **Chapter Ten**

She shook her head but it was all for show. She wanted it and the feral look in his eyes only made it worse. He wanted her. It showed in even the slightest movement he made and it was so strange, this empowering feeling that it gave her. She had never felt... desired before. Not like this. No one had ever looked at her like he was now.

A small voice in the back of her head told her that she shouldn't let anymore happen. That he had taken off on her just that very day and she should be much more leery of his intentions than she was.

But she liked this feeling of being wanted by a man. Not just any man either, but a man that she wanted just as much and had, she realized with a start, since the moment that she looked up and saw him sitting at the bar. She backed away from him but he kept coming. Finally her back was pressed against the counter and he was still coming, his body pressing into her before he dipped his head, running his tongue up the column of her throat until his lips were next to her ear.

"If you want me to stop then tell me to stop," he muttered, his voice gliding over her skin and causing her breath to stick in her throat.

She swallowed, her eyes fluttering open even though she didn't remember closing them. "Don't stop," she whispered. The heat was consuming her like a live flame, burning her up from the inside. Last night the fear of the unknown had dampened her desire for him but now, now she knew what he could give her and her body needed him. She was starving for it.

He lifted her easily, sitting her right on the edge of the bar and backing up just enough so she could push his shirt up. He tore it the rest of the way off and then his lips were on hers, fierce and demanding. She matched his intensity, her teeth sinking into his bottom lip and pulling lightly before her hands slid down to his belt.

"You're killin' me here," he rumbled into her neck as she slid his zipper down.

She was feeling much more bold than she ever felt before as she pushed his pants down lower on his hips. "Stop talking and fuck me, Daryl. It's been a rough day."

He lifted his head, his eyes wide with surprise. "Jesus," he growled and then he moved, pushing into her as his hands slid her body forward. Her cry was cut off when his lips crashed into hers. Her body jerked against his. Unlike the night before, he wasn't careful with her. He was moving into her with calculated strokes that had her gasping into his mouth. He never expected her to ever say anything like that. She was sweet and shy. Those words coming from her had his blood igniting in a way it never had before.

He moved so her legs were draped over his forearms and he was holding up most of her weight since he had nearly jerked her off of the bar in his haste to get inside her. She leaned back on her arms and looked between them, her eyes widening at the sight of him moving into her. The angle had him able to go deeper, filling her more than she thought she could take and then he was pulling away again, over and over until she felt that hot flash of pleasure deep inside.

Her eyes widened and met his. He smirked at her and then his teeth dragged across his bottom lip. Her body fell apart then, the sensations pulsing through her, almost painfully. His eyes were dark, never wavering until she felt the heat from his own release fill her and then his jaw clenched painfully.

She sat up straighter and his forehead fell onto her shoulder, his breathing ragged as he moved her so she was able to sit on the bar again. He wordlessly adjusted his pants while her fingers ran through the hair at the back of his head. Once both of them were able to breath normally again he raised his head and gave her a strange look.

"What?" She asked.

He shook his head. "For the sex to be not that good, you're awful loud," he drawled.

She slapped his chest and then pushed him away so she could hop down from the bar. "I told you that I lied about that part. I wanted to hurt your feelings," she said, making sure her skirt was fixed. She bent down, quickly shoving her feet back into the panties he had removed while hiding from his brother.

He chuckled and pulled his shirt back over his head.

"And I'm not even loud. I didn't say anything."

Daryl glanced up again before meeting her eyes. "Go ask Oscar. I bet he heard."

She felt her face blaze hot and then she glanced around, reaching into a cabinet below the bar and pulling out a bottle of cleaner. "I can't believe we did this here." She mumbled as she sprayed the spot and then wiped it vigorously with a clean towel.

He reached around her, grabbing the towel and then turning her around. She opened her mouth to say something but she couldn't because his lips were on hers, softer than before. She hated herself for sinking into him. She hated herself for kissing him back. She should stop all of this, right now, and figure out the reasons why. Why was being with him like this so easy when it had never been easy before? Why had she let this happen again? She had known him for two days and in those two days she had had sex with him twice.

Now she was kissing him like it was the most normal thing in the world to be kissing him like this, but it wasn't. It wasn't normal at all. Not for her. And now she was starting to worry. His arms around her felt good and his lips seemed to be made for hers, but what now? Was he going to leave? And if he did, did it mean that all she was to him was someone to have sex with?

He broke the kiss but he kept his arms around her. "You got any food?"

She blinked. "What?"

He shrugged. "I'm starvin'. If you ain't got any food up there then I wanna go somewhere and get some."

She laughed, feeling like a weight had just lifted off her shoulders. He was going to go back to the apartment with her. Well, he was thinking about it anyway. "I don't really have much up there."

"You wanna go grab somethin'?" He asked, looking slightly unsure of himself.

She looked down and then shook her head quickly. "No! I can't go out looking like this."

"Why?"

"I look like a prostitute," she hissed, rolling her eyes because he could damn well see why she couldn't wear this in public.

"No you don't. Besides, it's three in the damn mornin'. Ain't like you'll be the only one out there lookin' like a prostitute."

She glared. "Are you saying you agree that I look like a prostitute?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm just tryin' to say whatever I need to so I can get fed faster. We can hit up a drive thru, I don't care, but I'm hungry."

"Can't you give me five minutes so I can change clothes?"

He shook his head. "Go ahead and go up there. I'll go grab somethin' and then I'll be back."

She shook her head, frowning hard. "No because I don't know if you'll actually come back."

He snorted. "I sat on a stool for fuckin' hours waitin' for you to get off so I could talk to you. Why the hell would I..." His voice trailed off and he made a face. "Goddamn, you're never gonna let me live that down are you? I fuckin' told you why I left."

She sighed and then shook her head. "I'll go. But the drive thru sounds the best. I really don't feel like getting stared at tonight."

He shrugged. "Your the boss. Let's get the fuck out of here."

~H~

She didn't trust him and he didn't blame her. She thought he was going to take off and not come back until his dick got hard again. He shook his head in disgust when he knew that she wasn't looking. He hated himself for leaving in the first pace. Merle had pegged him right. He was a pussy. He had been too goddamn scared to face her so he'd left her a note, hurt her feelings, and ruined her whole damn day.

But he was trying to make up for that. He hadn't planned on screwing her in the bar but goddamn, he was only one man and it had been right there in front of his face and he hadn't been able to resist. And she'd basically told him to do it. Hell, she _literally_ told him to do it. She told him to shut up and fuck her. So he'd done just that.

Once they were outside he realized the dilemma. It was October and it was three in the morning and it was damn chilly outside. She was barely covered at all and was rubbing her arms briskly as they made their way to his bike.

He shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to her.

She shook her head. "You'll get cold."

He rolled his eyes and looked down at her. "You're more than half naked. Just wear the damn jacket. Actually, this was probably a bad idea. I can eat tomorrow. I had a snack back there anyway." He grinned as her face blazed red in the street light.

"Fine, I'll take the jacket and then we'll get food."

He was about to argue but then she put the jacket on and he forgot what he was about to say. When she straddled the bike he just stood there staring because this was the things his greatest wet dreams were made of.

"Daryl!" She huffed and then pulled the leather jacket tighter around herself. She gave him a pointed look.

"Right. Food. Let's go," he muttered, climbing on in front of her. The chill on his bare arms didn't bother him. The wind in his face didn't bother him. He lived for this shit. The feel of her pressed against his back only made it that much better. If she hadn't been freezing back there he would just keep going but he wanted to get her back to her apartment.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

She hated that it was over because the ride had been exhilarating. She would have asked him if they could have kept going but she felt like a block of ice by the time they got back to her apartment. The leather jacket did wonders at keeping the wind and cold away but her legs had been completely bare. It had put a damper on the trip. But he was following her up the back steps now and he seemed to want to stay with her so she was happy about that.

Being happy about that wasn't smart until she figured out exactly what he wanted from her. Preferably he wanted more than just sex. Not that it wasn't amazing, but that wasn't who she was. She wasn't like the other girls that him and Merle hung out with. She was nothing like them actually. They were barely the same species.

He sat the bag on the table and then rubbed his arms briskly as she shrugged out of his jacket. She frowned.

"I told you that you were gonna freeze," she muttered, sitting down and reaching for the bag. She wasn't very hungry but he'd ordered her a sandwich anyway. The least she could do was eat it, even though her nerves, and the fact he was still here, had her stomach in knots.

"I'm good. I'm surprised you ain't running off to get some more clothes on though. You gotta be a lot colder than I am." He pulled out one of his burgers and took a huge bite. She raised her brows as he chewed.

She picked at her own sandwich as he devoured two burgers and half of a large order of fries. He didn't say much because his mouth was always full and when he finally looked up at her he raised a brow and she couldn't help but laugh at him. She decided not to make fun of him for his childish table manners, instead she leaned back in her chair and studied him carefully. "How did we never meet if we both grew up here?" She asked.

He glanced at her and shrugged. "I don't know. Different sides of the tracks maybe."

She nodded. "I suppose. I guess that was a stupid question. Until I started working here I hadn't really known anyone at all."

"You ain't got your own little crew that you hang out with when you're off?"

She felt her face flame and then she shook her head.

"What about any kin?"

She shook her head again. "My parents died a few months after I turned eighteen. Neither of them had any siblings and I was an only child. It's just me."

He picked at his fries, his brow creasing. "That sounds fuckin' awful. I bitch about my brother and right now he's the bane of my goddamn existence, but he's my brother. He's somebody that's always been there."

She smiled. "It hasn't been all bad. I don't mind being alone."

He shook his head and looked up, meeting her eyes briefly. "So, if you ain't got any friends to speak of outside the bar and you ain't got any kin, how the fuck did you wind up with that asshole Ed?"

She yawned and rubbed the back of her neck absently. "Well, I met him at the Library."

He snorted. "Course you did."

She laughed. "It was raining and I was leaving and he asked me if I wanted a ride. He seemed harmless enough so I accepted. We talked for a while and I learned he went to college on a football scholarship. We became friends and then he asked me out. No guy had really shown any interest in me before that so I kind of jumped at the opportunity to go out with a college football star."

"But shit didn't work out in your favor, huh?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Honestly, I never really expect them to. I mean, I'm not feeling sorry for myself or anything but that's just how things go for me. Two steps forward and three steps back, ya know? For some people that's just life. I never expected things to work out with him."

He studied her for a few long moments and then turned his attention back to his food. "So, what happened then?"

"He wanted more than I was willing to give. He got more and more angry about it and finally he decided that maybe slapping me would get him what he wanted. He hated me working at the bar. He was jealous and he swore that since I wasn't putting out for him that I was putting out for someone else. He was a pig. Oscar heard us fighting but he's good at minding his own business. After he heard Ed hit me he decided it was time to not mind his own business. He kicked my door in and put Ed in the hospital." She smiled at the memory and then shook her head. She shouldn't be smiling because someone got hurt over her.

"Don't seem like he learned his lesson," Daryl grumbled.

"Well, that depends on how you look at it. He never comes around alone. He usually has at least two people with him and he usually doesn't show up until later. For some reason a lot of the regulars look at me as their honorary little sister and they make sure I don't get hassled."

He nodded. "I've noticed."

She laughed. "I went from being an only child in a lonely bubble to having twenty very angry older brothers. I don't know why. I'm not any different than any other person that's worked there."

He shook his head and studied her. "You really believe that?"

She frowned. "Yes. That's the truth. I'm a bartender at a bar they hang out in. But I guess they just wanted to take me under their wing."

"And you don't think that has anything to do with how much you help other people? Marv. Oscar, I know there's more."

Her frown deepened. "People help other people all the time. You helped me just the other night when Ed was giving me a hard time."

He shook his head. "I helped you cause... Well, they were assholes and you were nice. I don't make it a point to go around helping people. Truth is, most people don't deserve it. You help people and don't even think twice about it. Those men ain't used to that. They're used to people ignorin' a problem, turnin' a blind eye to somebody in need. And fuck, you can bet if they do go out of their way to give somebody a hand, they at least expect to be praised for it."

"That isn't true," she muttered.

He nodded. "Yeah it is. Didn't you just say that you're used to things going bad for you? Two steps forward, three back? But you still stick your neck out for people and don't even think about expecting shit in return. That's why those men down there look after you like that. That's why I'm gonna end up in the ICU."

She tried to read his face but it wasn't easy and she felt herself growing nervous again. "So, how long do you plan on sneaking around?"

~H~

What was he suppose to say to that? He didn't know what the hell this even was. He knew that he couldn't stay away from her. The more he learned about her the more determined he was to stick around. She was nothing like anyone he had ever met before. And the thing he loved about her the most was the fact that she had idea how good she was.

The thing he hated was the fact that she expected the worst from every situation, despite being such a good person. She didn't feel like she deserved anything for being who she was. But he didn't have the faintest idea what she wanted from him. And he hadn't the faintest idea how to go about asking her.

"I don't mind sneakin' around. It's better than getting my ass kicked."

"What would your brother do if he found out what you've been up to the last few nights?" She asked, her eyes unreadable.

He shook his head. "I don't even wanna think about that."

She bit her lip and looked away, back towards the dark living room and the bedroom beyond. "Do you want to stay? Tonight I mean?"

He smiled crookedly. "I kinda thought that's why I was here."

She met his eyes, holding his gaze. "And what if I told you we wouldn't be... doing it again?"

He shrugged. "If you're askin' if I'm gonna knock you around for not fuckin' me then the answer is no. I need to get some damn sleep anyway."

She scowled. "I wasn't asking that! I just wasn't sure if you'd want to stay even-"

"I didn't come up here last night to fuck you. It never crossed my mind, alright. If you told me that you didn't want anything like that then I'd be okay with it. It'd suck, since I know how goddamn good it is, but I'd live. I'm not that guy, no matter what you think."

"I don't think-"

"You think it a little, Carol. Matter of fact, no more. We're done."

Her head snapped up, her eyes widening. "What? I didn't mean that I-"

He shook his head. "Until you stop thinkin' that the only reason I'm here is to get in your pants as much as I can, I'm not getting in your pants anymore."

"Daryl, I-"

"I'm beat. You wanna call it a night?" He asked suddenly, more determined now than ever to prove to her that he wasn't after a piece of ass.

"I- Okay," she said, standing up, looking flustered. "I'm off tomorrow. But you already knew that, right? It's Sunday. The bar isn't open on Sunday."

He felt his eyebrows raise as he watched her.

"If you want you can come over. Or not. I mean you don't have to."

"Oh. You want me to leave?" He asked, catching her off guard again.

"I- what? No! I didn't mean you had to leave. I just thought you just said that we weren't..." Her face was so red he wanted to laugh at her. "You want to just spend the night?"

He nodded. "Unless you want me to go back home."

She shook her head and then she looked up. "You don't have to do this," she said, her voice low.

"I'm doin' it because I want to."


	12. Chapter 12

**A couple more chapters and we are finished with this one! Hope you all had a good weekend and thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter Twelve**

She kept telling herself to calm down. It wasn't a big deal. So what if he was going to spend the night with her. Did she really think he was some jerk that was only interested in having sex with her? And if she thought that about him then why had she had sex with him in the first place? That didn't make any sense.

This time they showered separately and when she got out she was dismayed for the first time in her life that she didn't have anything to sleep in other than a giant night shirt. There wasn't anything sexy about a giant football jersey but that was all she had. Maybe she'd dip into her meager savings and buy something a little sexier to...

Why on earth would she do that? She wasn't trying to seduce him! So what if all she had was a big shapeless shirt? She shook her head and pulled the shirt on. She was such a _dork_! When he'd gotten out of the shower he'd strolled right into her room in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs that left as much to the imagination as the clothes she wore to work. And, of course, she had stared at his junk for a good minute before she looked up and realized he was watching her stare.

She grumbled to herself as she went to her room, red faced as usual. The light was off but she could see the outline of his body, stretched out on his back with his arms shoved under the pillows. Maybe he was asleep already and she wouldn't do or say anything else to make herself look like an idiot.

She crawled into bed, wishing she were drunk again. Last time falling asleep with him in her bed had been easy. This wasn't easy.

"I feel like I'm in bed with a two by four," he muttered.

She turned her head and frowned at him but he couldn't see it. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"You're all stiff."

She sighed and willed herself to relax. She blew out a breath and scooted over a little so she was closer to him. She wasn't sure if he would want her to touch him or not since he had made up this no sex rule. She cried out in surprise when he rolled over onto his side, wrapped an arm around her waist and yanked her towards him.

"You want me to sleep on the couch?" He laughed.

She let out a breath and rolled into him, her fingers trailing over the sparse hair on his chest. She shook her head. "No."

"Alright then. Go to sleep."

She nodded, rolling over so her back was to him and his arm was around her. Her eyes started growing heavy. He was warm and for the first time in a lot of years she didn't feel so damn _alone_.

~H~

He woke because she was shifting in her sleep. He opened his eyes and stifled a groan. He had rolled back over onto his back sometime in the night and she was all over him. Her leg was draped over his and her arm was wrapped around his waist. Her head was on his chest and he glanced down, rolling his eyes at the site of his erection straining against the confines of his boxers.

Nothing could happen again. Not for a while, anyway. Not until she realized that he liked her for her and not for her body. He was just going to keep his hands to himself. He thought this just as her own hand slid down a few inches, the tips of her fingers dipping into his waistband.

He grabbed her hand before it could move any further and then his eyes widened when he heard her laugh softly. "You're awake," he said accusingly.

She nodded, turning her head so her chin was resting on his sternum. Her eyes were still sleep heavy but there was a mischievous glint in them that caught him off guard. "You didn't leave."

He shook his head. "You knew I wouldn't leave." As soon as he loosened his grip on her wrist her hand started moving down his boxers again. He raised a brow and tightened his grip again, stopping her.

"I'd hoped you wouldn't leave but I wasn't sure."

"I told you we ain't doin' that anymore," he said in a low voice, gesturing down his body at the hand he was still stopping.

"I believe that you aren't just after me for my body, Daryl. I guess you like the stimulating conversation." She grinned. She must have been one of those infuriating morning people. With a smile that could only be described as sultry she jerked her wrist out of his grip and then quickly went right for the prize, running her hand over him.

"You're only sayin' that now cause you're a weird morning freak. I already told you no." He tried to sound severe but his voice was strained. Very strained.

She shook her head, her wide eyes growing dark and then she surprised him. She removed her hand from his boxers and then crawled right on top of him, straddling his hips.

He shook his head, shoving his arms under the pillow so he couldn't touch her, because he really wanted to touch her.

She quirked on eyebrow at him. He shook his head. She shrugged. He thought for a second she was going to get up but she didn't. She raised up on her knees, crossed her arms in front of her and whipped the shirt over her head. She wasn't wearing anything under it. Nothing at all. He swallowed hard and felt his nostrils flare as he watched her. He tried really hard to keep his eyes on hers. He wanted to, but he couldn't. His gaze swept over her as she settled back down.

When she grinned and then sunk her teeth into her bottom lip, well, that was about all he could take. Maybe he was a little more experienced than she was, but not much. And he'd never been in this situation before. She was tormenting him. He sat up, his fingers tangling into her hair as he pulled her face towards his. Her warm body pressing flush against his had his breath stuttering slightly and when she kissed him, it strangely felt like home.

The thought scared the fuck out of him for a second and he broke the kiss. She pushed him back down and he lifted his hips when she went to shove his boxers down. His hands went to her waist and he watched as she sank down onto him slowly. She was still for a few seconds and then she experimentally rolled her hips over him, causing him to growl.

She grinned and then she repeated those movement, slow and languid and driving him completely fucking crazy. His eyes roamed over her, his hands following suit. When his eyes met hers he almost had to look away. In those blue depths there was a soft innocence that made him feel some strange pull in his chest. Some uncanny connection that ran much deeper than just the physical one. In that moment he understood why so many people looked out for her. But what they all seemed to miss was what he was getting a glimpse of now, and that was a quiet resilience. A strength that he doubted even she knew she possessed.

He blinked and pulled her down, needing to break the weird feelings she was dredging up in him. She kissed him eagerly and didn't seem to mind when he tightened an arm around her and rolled. Thunder rumbled in the distance but he barely heard it. The only thing really registering in his mind was how fucking good she felt. Though he kept his pace matched to her own he felt those telltale signs that she was close. Once she did fall apart under him the only indication was the feeling of her body gripping his tighter as it rolled through her and she held him closer.

He wasn't sure how long they stayed in bed but it was much different than the other times. When he finally came it took him a long time to recover. He'd not moved and she continued to map him out with her hands. It felt good and that was odd because he really hated his space being invaded. He hated being touched at all. But it was okay for her to do it.

He finally raised his head from her chest. "I'm gonna have to go soon," he muttered, rolling off of her.

She sat up on her elbows, her eyes wide. "What?"

He snorted. "Don't look at me like that. I've just been raped, for one, and for two, Merle is gonna lose his mind if I don't show up soon. He disappears on me, not the other way around. The asshole still thinks I'm twelve. Neither one of us want him snoopin' around here lookin' for me."

She blew a strand of hair out of her face and rolled her eyes. "Sneaking around is a pain in the ass. But I need to get ready anyway. I clean Marv's house on Sundays and get his bills and stuff in order."

He nodded. "Back to the real world, huh?"

She smiled. "The real world has lost all of it's appeal. When can I see you again?"

He stared up at the ceiling. Surely all he would have to do is make an appearance and let Merle know he wasn't dead. "Tonight?"

She grinned. "Okay." She scrambled out of bed then, completely naked, and went to her closet. Hands on her hips she examined her wardrobe and he saw her shake her head... barely. He was mostly staring at her ass. "You know what? I have awful clothes."

He laughed and then stood up, running a hand through his hair and stretching. He put his pants on and sat back down.

Glancing over her shoulder she frowned. "I really do. I never paid much attention before but this is an awful mess." She reached in and grabbed a pair of jeans, holding them up. "I usually wear these to work but I'm wearing them today."

He didn't comment. He just watched her until she was dressed. She didn't really look like she did at night at the bar but her jeans fit her snug and the oversized hoodie she pulled on didn't look bad either. Especially since he knew the goods hiding under it.

"Why are you smiling?" She asked after fighting with her hair for a few minutes.

He shook his head and grabbed his shirt off the floor. "Nothin'. You need a ride? Sounds like it's gonna rain soon."

She nodded but then frowned. "You sure that's smart? Somebody is bound to tell Merle if they see us."

He nodded and glanced out the window. It wasn't raining yet and if they hurried he could probably get her to Marv's before the downpour. Besides, he knew Merle was going to find out eventually. He had no intentions of staying away from her.


	13. Chapter 13

**Filler warning! This chapter is short and it sucks but at least it's a chapter! Thanks for reading! It is greatly appreciated!**

 **Chapter Thirteen**

She climbed off the bike a half a block away from Marv's place but she didn't make a move to walk away. She stood there, staring at him with wide eyes until he grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. Despite the cold of the fall day her lips were warm against his.

"I'll see you later," she said, backing away from him until he dropped her hand. She turned then and headed down the sidewalk.

He watched her for a moment, running a nervous hand through his hair. He was in so much fucking trouble. With a shake of his head he made a u-turn and roared down the street towards his house. When he got there he cursed under his breath. Merle's bike was there and so was the truck, meaning Merle was home and he was surely going to give him shit as soon as he walked in the door.

He walked in and Merle looked up from his spot on the couch. "Where the hell have you been?" He asked, causing Daryl to stop in his tracks. He sounded like a goddamn mother hen yelling at a kid that didn't make curfew.

"Around," Daryl answered absently, heading towards the kitchen.

"Don't you give me none of that shit. This is the second goddamn day in a row your ass comes traipsin' in here after bein' gone all night. I went back to the bar and Carol said you left with some woman."

Daryl nodded, rummaging through the fridge but coming up with nothing. "Don't you ever buy food?"

"So, you left with a woman? What woman?"

Daryl shrugged and pulled out a bottle of water. "Some woman you don't know. Don't worry about it, goddamn. I don't hound you after you take off. Least I came back at all."

"I ain't you. You don't ever leave the damn house and now for the last two days you've barely been here. Who the hell are you stayin' out with?"

Daryl rolled his eyes and watched as Merle threw the laundry basket down. Usually if they wanted clean clothes it was Daryl who tossed all their shit in the machine. Watching Merle do it with that offended look on his face almost had him wanting to laugh but he held it back.

Merle nearly ripped the lid of the washer off before he started throwing clothes inside. Daryl knew damn good and well he had waited for Daryl to get home so he would witness his poor big brother doing the laundry cause he hadn't been around to do it. "You know, we got a goddamn phone. You could at least call and tell me that you ain't dead or in jail."

"Goddamn, Merle. It ain't a big deal. I'm grown."

Merle snorted, picked up a pair of pants that belonged to Daryl and then they both watched as something fell out of the pocket.

Daryl stared, wide eyed, at the panties lying there on the floor. Pink with yellow smiley faces. Merle picked them up before Daryl could make a grab for them, holding them up and raising a brow.

"Oh God. Are you fuckin' a teenager?" Merle asked.

Daryl snatched them out of Merle's hand. "No! Goddamn it."

"Grown women don't wear shit like that."

Daryl stalked passed him, unsure exactly what to do with the damn underwear in his hand so he just opened his bedroom door and threw them in there to land where they may.

"You stayin' home tonight?" Merle asked. "We gotta work tomorrow."

Daryl sat down on the couch and propped his feet up on the scuffed and stained coffee table. "Nope. But I'll be at work"

Merle gaped at him. "Where the hell are you gonna stay?"

Daryl leaned his head into the back of the couch and sighed. "Some chick's house. It ain't no big deal. Would you leave me the fuck alone?"

"Fuck you! I ain't leavin' shit alone. Who is it? There ain't a piece of pussy in this damn county that I ain't met yet. I want a name."

"Peggy."

"You lyin' bastard!" Merle growled.

"Edith."

Merle threw a beer bottle at him but he'd seen it coming and was able to block it with a pillow. He grinned but Merle looked seriously pissed.

"Some girl I went to school with, okay? Ran into her the other night. Her name's... Carry." That's original numb nuts, he thought to himself. "She's not your type and she don't hang around your type so you wouldn't know her. And that's where I've been."

Merle eyed him and Daryl knew he wasn't buying it but he wasn't pushing it anymore, thank fuck. Daryl didn't know how much more of this weird fatherly side of his brother he could take. It was starting to creep him out.

~H~

Carol finished up pretty quick. Marv was perfectly capable of taking care of all of this on his own but Carol thought he was probably just lonely. She didn't mind anyway. It gave her something to do.

"Looks like you're gonna need a ride today," Marv said as he looked out the window.

She shrugged. "I can wait until it passes."

"Nope. I won't have you staying here all damn night. People would start talking." He winked and she laughed at him.

"I don't want you to have to get out in this," she argued.

"Well, it's not suppose to let up until tomorrow night and I ain't havin' you walking out in this. Besides, I won't even have to get wet. The car is in the garage and the garage is attached to the house. You worry too much, girl."

She shrugged and finally agreed to let him take her. Since he wasn't going to be out in the rain anyway she asked him to stop by the grocery store. He pulled down the alley behind the building and she thanked him before grabbing her bags and making a mad dash for the stairs. By the time she was inside her kitchen she was soaked to the bone and freezing.

Leaving the bags on the table she hurried to the bedroom to change into something dry and warm. She had bought everything she needed to make a pot of chili. It was a damn good night for it and she liked to cook. She was putting her hair back up, walking through the doorway when suddenly she looked up, stopped in her tracks and screamed.

Daryl was standing there, leaning against the counter with an open bag of cookies that she had just bought in his hands. He raised a brow and then nodded towards the door. "You should think about locking up. You suck at basic home security," he said around a mouth full of food.

She stalked past him, snatching the bag out of his hands and then locked the deadbolt.

"No use now. You've already had a break in."

A loud banging from the living room had them both jumping in surprise. Carol hurried to the door, already knowing who it was. Sure enough Oscar was standing there, glaring down at her.

"What the hell are you over here screaming for? Damn near gave me a heart attack!"

She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

He gave her a hard look, swiped his hand over his face and then turned on his heel to head back to his apartment.

"Thanks, Oscar!" She called.

He grumbled something unintelligible and then slammed his door.

She turned and looked into the kitchen where Daryl was going through the bags she had brought in. She shook her head and grinned.

~H~

She could cook. He was starting to get worried now. He'd had it pretty bad before but now it was even worse.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked. She was sitting Indian style on the other side of the couch, spoon in hand and a steaming bowl balanced between her legs.

He shook his head. "I ain't lookin' at you," he muttered, returning his attention to his bowl.

"How did you get away from Merle?" She asked after a few silent moments.

He shrugged. "I told him I was screwin' some chick I went to school with named Carry."

She raised her brows and stared at him as she chewed. "Carry?"

"Shut up. It was spur of the moment. I had to think fast."

She nodded, her eyes wide. "I'm sure you were very convincing."

He scowled and finished his chili in silence. The movie she put it wasn't something he'd ever seen before and he didn't have the ability to concentrate on it with her right fucking there on the couch. She was distracting as fuck.

She ended up on top of him again but their clothes stayed on. He didn't mind. He should have minded. He wasn't the type just to make out with a chick. Then again, he wasn't the type to wait for a chick to get off work, spend the night with her, go out of his way to come back so he could spend the night with her again. Risk the wrath of his brother. Sneak around just to spend time with her. Yeah, he was starting to think that there was a whole lot about himself that he was just now figuring out.

"Did you bring a bag with you?" She asked, leaning back just enough so she could talk without their lips touching.

He nodded. "I thought I was gonna be workin' tomorrow but I think I'm gonna get rained out."

"So... we can stay up later?" She asked sheepishly.

He chuckled, his hands sliding up her back. "You're a sex addict."

Her mouth popped open and she sat up, bracing herself on his chest. "No I'm not."

He grinned and pulled her back down. She didn't fight him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry about the delay! Other stories will updated soon if any of you are waiting for them! Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter Fourteen**

They made it work for two whole months. Eight whole weeks. Sixty whole days. And it wasn't easy. Keeping everything a secret was wearing on both of them. They didn't see each other very much except for on weekends when Daryl didn't work and on Mondays when Carol was off. Keeping things from Merle was rough too. He was like a hound dog sniffing around.

It was a Saturday night and him and Merle were shooting pool with a couple of Merle's buddies that he hadn't seen in a while.

"So, you comin' home tonight or you takin' off again?" Merle asked as they made their way to the bar.

"Takin' off again," he said, drumming his fingers on the wood.

"Don't that lady of yours get pissed off that you spend so much time here?" Merle asked, not for the first time.

"Nope."

"When you gonna let me meet her?" Merle asked. "You scared I'm gonna try to dip into it?"

Daryl shook his head. "Soon I think. And she knows all about you. You ain't got a chance."

Merle's eyes lit up. "Soon, huh? How soon?"

Daryl shrugged and he was saved when Carol finally made it to them.

"Beers?" She asked, flashing him a smile.

He nodded and Merle elbowed him, waiting for an answer.

"I don't know. Sooner than later." And he meant it. He was ready to take his beating and get on with it. Carol wasn't going anywhere. It wasn't just a fling. He didn't want to have to hide anymore.

"Sooner than later, what?" She asked, looking back and forth from him to his brother.

Merle threw an arm over his shoulder. "I think he's finally gonna let us in on this secret woman he's got stashed away somewhere. She's bound to be a dog too so when he shows up with her, try not to laugh at him. There's a reason he ain't brought her around yet and I'm guessin' that's why."

Carol raised her brow and then eyed Daryl. He rolled his eyes, knowing she was going to have some fun with this. "So, when is this mystery woman going to finally show her face? Surely a handsome guy like yourself managed to snag a real keeper."

Merle shook his head. "Nope. Bet she's uglier than a cross eyed water snake. Thing about snakes though, they can dislocate their jaws and swallow things whole. I bet that's why he's with her."

Carol laughed, her blue eyes dancing. "Is that the secret to love everlasting? Good head?"

Merle snorted. "Course not. You can get good head anywhere. _Great_ head is the key to love everlasting."

Carol sighed and shook her head. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Merle."

He scowled. "I wasn't talkin' about you!"

Daryl wanted to die.

She shrugged. "Well, if you say it works then I guess I have no choice but to a meet a man and try my hardest to get him to-"

"You shut your filthy mouth right now! Ain't nobody around here wantin' to think about you doin' any sick shit like that."

She patted Merle's cheek, winked at Daryl and then sauntered off to serve someone else.

Merle sat there scowling. "I swear, that girl says shit like that just to piss me off."

Daryl laughed and took a long drink of his beer. "I'll never get why the hell you care. Here I am, your own flesh and blood brother and you give me shit all the time. You've not known that girl long at all and you treat her like a Saint."

"Cause she is. You're an asshole. And she's a girl. Little sisters ain't the same as little brothers."

"She looks like a _woman_ to me, and she sure as hell ain't my sister" Daryl grumbled.

Merle glared at him but then shook his head. "You know, I'm half tempted to talk her into givin' you a shot. Hell, at least if she was with you, I wouldn't have to worry about some other asshole."

Daryl glanced over when a couple of newcomers took the empty seats next to him. Merle stood up then, walking off towards the bathroom. Daryl ran a nervous hand through his hair. That hadn't been too bad.

"You look like you need another beer."

Daryl looked up. Carol's expression was sympathetic.

"Hey, beautiful, two shots of Jameson for me and my friend here."

Daryl turned his head, taking in the man that had just spoke. He was used to the pet names. He wasn't bothered when men made remarks like that, but there was something about this guy that didn't sit right with him. He seemed... off. He looked like an asshole. His long hair was slicked pack and tied at the back of his neck and his eyes were narrowed on Carol, his lips turned up in a confident smirk.

"Sure thing," she said, turning to grab the glasses and the bottle.

The man leaned closer to his friend. "How much you wanna bet I can take the bartender home?"

Daryl rolled his eyes. This guy was a fucking joke. He wasn't about to leave his seat though, just in case the guy had any plans of saying something to her. He looked up and noticed that Oscar was standing close, arms crossed over his chest, watching the men with a look like anger on his face.

"Here you go," Carol said, sitting the glasses down in front of the men. Her smile was brittle, like even she got a strange vibe from the two men.

"You got a name, sweetheart?"

"Carol," she said, her eyes flicking from the man to Daryl, almost worriedly. "You must have forgotten."

Looking back at the man Daryl saw that he was studying Carol more closely. After a few seconds he grinned. "Oh yeah. How could I forget," he said, his voice losing that charm and taking on an edge.

She nodded stiffly and walked away, seeming much less relaxed than she had been before this guy showed up.

"I can't believe I forgot about that night. That fuckin' bitch bout got me killed."

Daryl stiffened. Guys hitting on her at times was something he was used to. He was secure enough in their relationship that shit like that rolled right off of him but he wasn't going to be able to sit there while some greasy prick talked shit about her. That was different. But he kept his mouth shut and his ears perked and kept drinking the beer.

"How the hell did that happen?" The man's friend asked after a pause.

The man shook his head and laughed. "I guess I was just too much man for her. All I did was hit on her a few times. Copped a feel and next thing I know I was out on the street. That girl's trouble is all she is. Regular cock tease, man. She flirts and then as soon as you go in for the kill she sics her fuckin' dogs on you. Broke my nose and my wrist."

"Then what the hell are we doing here, man? We need to go," the friend said, more than a trace of worry in his voice.

The guy shook his head and his voice lowered so Daryl could barely hear it. He had to tilt his head and strain his ears to hear what the man was saying. "Nah. I'm gonna hang around till the place clears out. Then I'm gonna catch this bitch leaving and show her-"

Daryl didn't think about what he was doing. He simply acted on impulse. One second he was sitting there listening to the man speak to his friend and the next he was smashing the guy's face into the bar.

He didn't know what else the man had been about to say but now that the man was somehow on the floor and Daryl was reigning blows into his bloodied face he became curious. "Show her what?" He growled.

The man tried to shove Daryl off of him but Daryl couldn't be moved. It was an odd feeling. He felt strangely calm despite the fact that he was enraged. His heart was beating hard and fast but his mind felt sharp. "Get the fuck off me!" The man roared, trying to buck Daryl off.

Daryl was able to land one more blow before someone finally managed to grip him under the arms and wretch him away. He wasn't sure who had pulled him away from the man but he didn't fight them. He backed away willingly. He was secure in the fact that this asshole, whoever he was, had learned something tonight.

Oscar bent down and pulled the guy up from the floor and when his eyes met Daryl's he nodded, a small smile playing around his lips. The bar had grown strangely quiet. Whoever had a hold of him let him go. He could feel eyes on him but when he looked up the only person he saw was Carol. She was coming around the bar, a worried look on her face.

"What the fuck was that all about?" Merle growled from behind him. That's who must have pulled him off the man.

Daryl shook his head and watched Carol approach. She didn't hesitate before grabbing his hand and examining it carefully.

"Come on, you need to get this cleaned up," she said, gripping his clean hand and then pulling him towards the hall. She didn't shut the door behind them, dragging him straight to the sink and grabbing a handful of paper towels without a word.

He watched her face as she went to work but he couldn't gauge her mood. She couldn't be pissed at him for doing what he did. He was going to have to worry about more questions from his brother though.

"Well, all the blood seems to be from Tomas. You didn't get any cuts but they're already bruising," she said softly.

He looked down and made a face. His knuckles were swollen and were going to hurt like hell. He flexed his fingers and winced. It hurt a little but he didn't think he'd broken anything.

"What was that about?" She asked, glancing up at him worriedly.

He shrugged. "He was just runnin' his mouth."

She shook her head. "You can't just beat up anyone that does that. He's an ass. Oscar had to take care of him once before. It's his job, not yours."

The corner of his mouth turned up. "Well, he wasn't quick enough."

She sighed and looked down. "What am I going to do with you?"

He shrugged. "You can do that one thing you did last weekend, if you want. I'm game."

She laughed and then slapped him hard in the chest, looking up. He was in the process of leaning in to kiss her when someone cleared their throat from the open doorway.

"How's that hand?"

Daryl glanced over his shoulder. Merle was leaning his shoulder into the door frame, his arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. Daryl shrugged. "I'll live."

Merle didn't look like he was going to move any time soon so Daryl stepped away from her and turned, heading past Merle and back down the hall. God, this was going to be hell.


	15. Chapter 15

**Well, this is it. The last chapter before the epilogue! Hope you all enjoy it! Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter Fifteen**

Carol was more than ready to get to her apartment. The night had droned on and on after Daryl beat the hell out of that ass of a man Tomas. Merle had bailed out early, claiming he had stuff to do the next day, which was strange because Merle never did anything on Sundays. Nothing else overly exciting happened.

He had cornered her before he had left, however and she felt bad. She knew that he had been a little suspicious from the start but Merle probably thought that if his brother was lying to him at first, he would have spilled the beans by now. So he had asked Carol what that was all about and she had been forced to shrug it off.

 _"It's nothing any different than the rest of you would have done, Merle. He's a good friend."_

He had held her gaze for a long time and finally sighed and left for home. And now she felt horrible because, no matter how rough and mean Merle was, she really did love him and lying to him now felt wrong. She hated it.

Daryl had escaped to her apartment right after Merle had left and now it was her and Oscar closing up. Oscar refused to leave her alone this time. Sometimes she felt smothered. Not just by him but all of them. She loved them all for looking out for her. They were wonderful men and she felt guilty for not feeling more appreciative but they made it hard sometimes. She wanted a real relationship with Daryl. She wanted to be able to be with him whenever she wanted.

"You're gonna have to go public," Oscar said as he followed her up the stairs. "That stunt he pulled down there was a little excessive. I'm tired of dodging questions myself so I can imagine how you feel."

She sighed. "I know. I haven't mentioned it to Daryl really but I'm tired of hiding all the time. Maybe if it was just a one time thing but I don't think he's going anywhere any time soon. Hiding is hard."

She heard him chuckle. "Well, if you two need back up, let me know. Hell, I've been along for the whole ride. He's a good kid and he cares about you. That's all I care about."

"Why do you think Merle is so against it? I know everyone else would have the same reaction you did but he's like a dog with a bone."

Oscar stopped in front of his door and shrugged. "I think it's cause Merle Dixon has never given a goddamn about anybody. Nobody but that brother of his anyway. Now that, for whatever reason, he gives a damn about you, he's not sure how to deal with that."

"Well, hopefully he deals with it in a non violent manner. I'm thinking about asking Daryl if he just wants to move in. You know, it'd be easier all the way around. The only thing I'm worried about is Merle."

Oscar sighed and shook his head. "I wouldn't worry too much. There really ain't a damn thing he can do about it. You're both grown. I'd rather see you with Daryl Dixon than anybody else. He makes you happy and at the end of the day, that's all any of us want."

She smiled and found herself hugging him. "Goodnight, Oscar."

He patted her back affectionately and pushed her towards her door. "Night."

She slipped inside and shut the door behind her, remembering to lock it this time. The room was dark except for the TV and Daryl was stretched across the couch, snoring softly. She felt that strange fluttery feeling in her chest as she looked down at him. She dropped her bag and reached down, pushing his hair out of his face.

He mumbled something unintelligible and swatted her hand away. She laughed and then his eyes snapped open. He sat up quickly, rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?" He mumbled.

"After three," she said.

He yawned swinging his legs around and stood up. "Anymore problems?"

She shook her head, winding her arms around his neck. "None."

He pulled her closer and dropped his head to her shoulder as his hands went to her hips. "I'm ready for bed," he grumbled.

"I'm ready for a shower," she laughed.

"That sounds even better," he said, causing her to cry out when he lifted her easily. Her legs wound around his hips as his lips worked their way up her jaw. He kissed her hard and then let her legs hit the ground once they were in front of the bathroom.

He managed to undress her without breaking the kiss but had no choice but to step away long enough to strip out of his own. Once they were in the shower she had every intentions of actually washing up but he had other things in mind. She felt him at her back, his hands running up her stomach, over her ribs before cupping her breasts firmly.

She closed her eyes and leaned into him as the hot water poured over their heads. When his hands slid back down, one dipping between her legs and the other gripping her hip firmly she braced herself, knowing what was coming. She wasn't sure what to expect since they had never done it this way before. He moved slow at first, like he always did, and the new angle had her breath sputtering out.

She didn't think that she would ever get used to being with him like this. Every touch, every small gesture, every time his lips touched her skin, she was taken aback by how intense it was.

By the time it was over and she had actually gotten her hair washed, the water was growing cold. It was hard to concentrate on anything with his hands on her but eventually she managed. She kissed him one last time before sliding the glass door open. "I'm gonna fix something to eat real quick. You'll never get cleaned up with me in here."

He narrowed his eyes on her but before he could argue she shut the door, grabbed a towel and hurried across the hall to her bedroom before he could make a grab for her and force her back into the shower. Not that she would be able to put up much of a fight. A wet and naked Daryl wasn't easy to walk away from as it was.

She dressed quickly in a tank top and a pair of loose pajama bottoms before she went to the kitchen to fix them a couple of sandwiches. He was still in the shower and the sound of a knock on the door startled her. She didn't think much of it, assuming that it was Oscar needing to borrow some sugar or something, which he was known to do, so she opened the door without even glancing out the fish eye lens.

She froze, her eyes widening as she stared up into the eyes of Merle Dixon.

He raised one eyebrow at her. "You busy?"

"I... er... Of course not," she said quickly.

He waited, she stood there like an idiot, her heart beating fast in her chest. "Well, can I come in? I wanted to talk to you about somethin'."

She blinked, glanced over her shoulder, and then looked back up at him. "Yeah, of course." She pulled the door open wide, hoping that Daryl would go from the bathroom to the bedroom without showing up out here.

Merle stepped inside and she shut the door quickly, almost wishing she could yell for Oscar to come over too, just so there would be a buffer. But she couldn't do that. She was nervous, sure, and scared that he was going to break Daryl's neck, but this needed to happen. She was tired of pretending there was nothing going on. It was becoming a real pain in the ass.

"Daryl seem okay when he left tonight?" Merle asked as he followed her into the kitchen.

"Umm... yeah. He seemed fine. I don't think his hand was broken or anything," she said as she started putting things back into the fridge.

"You like him, don't you?" He asked, leaning against the counter and watching her closely.

She looked up briefly and then smiled. "Of course I do. He's a nice guy. Great guy actually." Jesus, why couldn't she just tell him that his brother was there? He was going to find out soon enough.

"You know what I'm talkin' about. You two have been dancin' around each other since the night you met him. I ain't blind, girl. I try to ignore it, sure, but it's there all the same."

She finally nodded. "I do like him," she admitted. "I really really do, Merle and he's such a great man, one of the best I've ever met."

Merle sighed. "I thought so."

Carol winced when she heard footsteps heading down the hall and then Daryl called from the doorway. "Hey, you ain't gonna eat in bed again are you? Last time I was brushin' crumbs off my ass all goddamn ni-" Daryl, conveniently clad in nothing but a towel wrapped loosely around his waist stopped in his tracks. "Oh fuck..."

Merle's mouth dropped open. He stared at Daryl so long that Daryl started shifting from one foot to the other, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. When Merle's startled eyes slid over to Carol she had to look at the floor.

She glanced up from under her lashes, "I was gonna tell you, Merle, but I knew you'd get mad and I didn't want you upset about it. I didn't want you upset at me and I didn't want you to be mad at your brother."

Merle finally closed his mouth. "When the hell did this happen?"

Daryl swallowed hard and he somehow didn't look a day over fifteen years old. "My Birthday."

"Two months! What about that Carry chick you knew from school? Oh fuck, you lying bastard. She's the one you've been with this whole time?" He asked, pointing at Carol.

Daryl nodded.

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me that?"

Carol rolled her eyes. "Because you threatened to put him in the hospital if he tried anything with me. It was all innocent really. I mean, he got in a fight with Ed and then I brought him up here so he could sleep off the alcohol since you had his keys and he was too drunk to walk home and then..."

Merle scowled. "Then you fucked her?" He asked.

Daryl shrugged. "It ain't like that's what I came up here to do but one thing led to another and then-"

Merle threw his hands in the air. "For the first time in my life, I don't need the details goddamn it. And you just kept on afterwords?"

Carol nodded.

"You'd just met him! You fucked him the first night you met him even though you hadn't ever fucked anybody else before? Jesus, girl!"

Carol felt her face turn red. "Well, it was bound to happen eventually! Don't you lecture me either, Merle Dixon, because you're the biggest slut I've ever met in my whole life! At least he's the only person I've ever slept with."

"Now you wait just a minute!" Merle gaped at her. "What I do is what I've been doin' since I was old enough to understand what the hell a hard on was good for. You've managed to go your whole life without doin' any shit like that! And then you meet him and you just... give it away? You didn't even make him work for it!"

"Oh, I worked for it," Daryl grumbled.

She nodded, "He really did. It was great."

Merle ran a hand over his face and stared at her. "Well, the big kicker is, I was comin' up here to talk to you about," he gestured towards Daryl who was still standing there looking incredibly uncomfortable, "him," he finished.

Carol sighed. "What about him?"

"I was gonna tell you that after he took care of that shrimp dick asshole at the bar that I thought he might just be a good catch and maybe you should give him a shot. But now I see he's been sneakin' up here like a dirty little bastard and puttin' it to you anyway so never mind."

Daryl cleared his throat. "Well, this has been fun and all but I gotta put some clothes on."

They watched as he backed away, probably not sure if Merle would steal his towel and try to slap him around while he was naked. She laughed at the image of it all, causing Merle to raise his brows at her.

"I can't believe you two assholes have been lyin' to me this whole damn time," Merle grumbled, crossing his arms.

She sighed. "I'm sorry, Merle. We wanted to tell you but we thought you would get mad."

He scoffed and they stood there in silence for a few moments before he met her eyes. "I came up here to tell you that you should go for it, damn it. So I guess I can't bitch too much. I think I kinda knew anyway but didn't wanna have to beat the shit out of him."

Daryl came back in then, still looking unsure as his eyes slid from Merle's over to hers, where they lingered. "So, what now? We gonna have to fight? Cause I don't care what the hell you say, I ain't gonna stop seein' her," he said once he finally looked back at his brother.

Merle sighed and then his lips turned up in a smile. "Nah. But if you fuck this up and you-"

"I won't," Daryl interrupted him firmly. "I know what you think and it ain't gonna happen, alright."

Merle sighed heavily, gave them both an exasperated look and then nodded. "Alright. Oscar's not gonna be to happy to-"

"He knows. He's known the whole time," Carol said with a grin. "And he thinks we're great together."

Now Merle looked even more offended. "You're all a bunch of sons of bitches."

He stuck around for an hour and then reluctantly claimed he had to get home. As soon as he was out the door Daryl ran a hand over his face and sat down heavily in one of the kitchen chairs. "That wasn't as bad as I thought. I figured he'd kick my ass before I could even get my pants on."

He grunted when she sat down heavily, straddling his lap. She grinned. "He cares about both of us. I expected him to be okay with it."

"You did not," he muttered, his hands slipping up the back of her shirt.

She kissed him quickly. "Well, I thought we had a fifty fifty chance of him being okay with it anyway."

"Seems to have put you in a good mood," he noted, meeting her eyes.

She nodded. "I was wanting to ask if you wanted to move in with me but I had to get past the Merle issue first. Now I'm free to ask away. So what do you think?" She swallowed hard and tried to look nonchalant but inside she was nervous. This was kind of a big deal and if he told her he didn't want to then she wasn't sure what she would say. She thought that he would want to but now she felt terrified.

"Move in here?" He asked, his brows raising.

She nodded quickly.

He glanced around the small kitchen and then his eyes met hers again. "I can't."

She forced a smile even though she felt like he had hit her in the stomach. Maybe it had been stupid to ask. They had only known each other a few short months. People didn't move in together after such a short amount of time. He probably thought she was out of her mind to ask something like that. She knew how much he cared about her but those old insecurities reared up like a tidal wave, drowning the progress she'd made over the last eight weeks. "Okay," she said, even though it didn't feel okay, no matter what she told herself.

"Okay? That's it?" He asked with a frown.

She stood up and went to busy herself at the sink, even though everything was already clean. "Of course that's it. It was just a suggestion. It was a really stupid one too. I mean, we haven't even been together for very long so I don't even know what I was thinking," she said hurriedly.

"Damn," he muttered.

She stiffened and turned then. "What do you mean, damn?" She asked, her freshly soured mood seeping into her tone. "Did you expect me to beg? I'm not that pathetic, Daryl."

"It's just that I've put back every dime I've made over the last six weeks and just paid the deposit and first months rent on a house outside of town. It's a lot bigger than this place and comes with a hell of a yard. I was gonna ask you if you wanted to take a look at it. If me you and Merle split everything three ways, we'd all save a lot of money."

Her mouth dropped open as he watched her closely.

"Actually," he went on, "It ain't much more than what me and Merle are payin' now. If you wanted to cut back to part time at the bar, you could still pull your own weight and maybe enroll in a few classes at- oomph," the air left him when she threw herself into his lap.

"You aren't serious," she said breathlessly, her heart hammering so hard in her chest that she was sure it was going to fly right out.

He nodded. "No pressure or nothin'," he grunted as she shifted, her arms going around his neck.

"When do I pack?" She asked quickly.

He shrugged and then grinned.


	16. Epilogue

**This is it! Hope you guys like it. I've had fun writing the fluffy stuffed thing and I'm glad that you guys have enjoyed it! Thank you to all of you that reviewed, followed and favorited! Have a good weekend!**

 **Epilogue**

 _ **Four years later**_

Merle had never been a big fan of Spring. The bugs started buzzing around and he always felt the urge to sneeze and birds were always singing too goddamn loud in the woods behind their house. Flowers blooming and squirrels getting it on in the trees, throwing nuts at anybody who walked past and interrupted their dirty squirrel sex. Yeah, Spring wasn't all it was cracked up to be to Merle Dixon. He was a fall type of guy. When everything started dying.

He grinned at the thought as he headed up the stairs.

It wasn't all bad anyway. Shorts got shorter. Bitches got hornier. Nah, there were a few good things about Spring.

Especially this Spring. This Spring Carol was finally finished. She was a full fledged college graduate and today was the day they celebrated. Everyone would be here soon. Her college friends and her bar friends alike. He was looking forward to seeing those two groups mingle. And picking up a piece of college girl ass wasn't totally out of the question, even though Carol banned him from talking to any of her friends that owned a pair of tits. He sighed heavily and shook his head.

He was happy for her. Hell, he was happy for all three of them actually. Once they had settled into the house he had figured it would end up being weird as fuck for him. Carol felt like kin to him. Blood. She was like his sister and, God only knew why, he felt like it was his job to protect her. But it turned out that his very own little brother was the one that had fallen ass over tea kettle for the girl and Merle was forced to accept the fact that they were a unit.

For the first year he'd watched them closely, waiting for Daryl to fuck up and break her heart. But it didn't come. As a matter of fact, he grudgingly had to admit that there wasn't a better man out there to take care of her than Daryl. Shortly after they had moved in she was going through all of the information about starting school. Just some classes a few times a week. Merle had sat back with a beer as her eyes lit up, taking in all the information.

He hadn't been the only person watching her either. Daryl had been sitting on the other end of the couch from her, sipping a beer and staring at her as she took it all in. Then Merle had seen the boy's expression change from slightly troubled to grim determination. He'd nodded, like he'd been silently having a discussion with himself, and then he'd spoken up.

 _"You know, might as well just go all in. You can apply for one of those student loans or something. Me and Merle make enough to handle shit around here. Then when you're done and got some high end job, me and him can quit and you can foot the bill."_

Merle had listened as she argued that she couldn't do that but Daryl, calm and collected, explained why she could. Merle had known full well that him and Daryl couldn't manage the bills on their own but he'd kept his mouth shut anyway. Finally, she had agreed and Merle had known she would because she was a damn nerd and wanted to go to school so damn bad that really, she couldn't refuse.

After she'd finally done it, gotten the loan and joined the life a full time college kid, Daryl had taken on a second job. Merle was dumbstruck, Carol was heartbroken and guilt ridden, but he'd thrown the biggest fit Merle had ever seen when she'd decided that college wasn't worth it if it meant Daryl had to work his damn fingers to the bone. She'd relented and stayed in school. Merle had never seen so much gross ass goddamn love before in his life. He was happy they had it but he'd be a liar if he tried to say it didn't make him nauseous.

Four years his brother had ran his ass rugged so Carol could have her dreams and now, today was payoff. She had earned a bachelors of science in nursing and already had a hell of a job lined up. Daryl had turned in his notice at his second job, deciding to keep on as head mechanic at a dealership. The pay was decent and he was well respected there.

They weren't in their room, or they weren't answering his knocks so he decided to be a dickhead and barge right in just to make sure. They weren't in the spare room or the upstairs bath either. He rarely ever came up here because he had the big room downstairs.

He felt that telltale feeling in his nose and sneezed about four times. "I'm so sick of goddamn Spring," he growled, stepping back into the upstairs bathroom and yanking the medicine cabinet open. He thought maybe Carol had something that would stop this sneezing bullshit stashed in there somewhere but he didn't have any luck. He shut the mirrored door and grabbed some tissues to blow his his damn nose.

Tossing the paper in the trash he was about to turn around when something caught his eye. The trash bin was mostly empty but there was a box inside, partially crumpled and he peered at it.

"I'll be damned," grinned as he read the name on the small blue box. It was a pregnancy test. He was gonna be an uncle. Hell yeah. Uncle Merle. He was gonna teach the snot nosed little shit all kinds of bad habits and- The grin dissolved once something occurred to him. Back when they had first gotten together they had lied to him about their relationship for two whole months. He'd understood it but it had still stung. They were the only damn family he had. And now here was another secret.

He had backed them through everything over the last few years and now he was goddamn pissed. He had thought about moving out a few times but stayed because he knew his brother needed him there while Carol finished chasing that dream of hers. Hell, just the other day he had mentioned moving out, getting his own place and letting them start their damn lives without him around all the time and Carol had actually cried. Tears! So he'd hurriedly told her that he'd stay for the rest of his life if she'd dry that cry baby shit up and stop acting like she was two years old.

And now they were at it again. Keeping him in the damn dark. Well, fuck them then. After today he was gonna check out a few apartments and move the hell on so they wouldn't have to bother being secretive assholes.

~H~

They were damn near late for Carol's party but he'd had no choice but to come in and fix one of the other mechanic's fuck ups and she'd insisted on coming with him. It was his damn job to make sure they did their damn jobs but he'd trusted the other guy to do what he needed to do. From now on he was going to go over every damn thing after each repair, no matter how minor.

Carol had her bare feet propped up on the dash, a book in her face as he turned down the drive to their house.

"You think Merle will be mad that we didn't tell him what we've done?" She asked worriedly, marking her place in the book and pulling her legs down.

Daryl shrugged. "There really wasn't any damn reason to tell him. We went and got a piece of paper. No flair. He probably won't care. You know how he is about shit like that."

"A piece of paper, huh?" She raised one eyebrow and studied him disapprovingly.

He squirmed in his seat and frowned before throwing the truck in park and looking at her. "You know what I mean. There wasn't no use in makin' a big deal about it. I don't get it. I don't see the point in other people bein' involved in business that ain't theirs. And this was between me and you. Not me and you and Merle. Not me and you and fifty other assholes. No flair, goddamn it."

She rolled her eyes. "I know but he's gonna think we're doing the same thing we did when we first met. He's gonna feel like we're keeping things from him. It's not a piece of paper. It's a marriage license. We could have at least told him we were going to get one."

He snorted. "Merle don't give a damn about shit like that. To him, we've been as good as married since the first time we jumped into bed together."

Her cheeks turned pink and he couldn't help but laugh at her. After all these years it was still so damn easy to embarrass her. She would probably always be like that. She smacked him in the arm and opened her door but he wasn't going to let her jump out.

He pulled her all the way into his lap, his arms banding around her. "We'll tell him today, alright? Next week we can even do the whole backyard ceremony shit you wanted so bad. Just don't be pissed off today of all goddamn days. It's a good day."

She turned in his lap, her hands going to his shoulders. She was grinning like the Cheshire cat. "You swear?"

He sighed heavily and leaned his head against the back of the seat. He didn't want it. He'd told her he hadn't wanted it. He wanted to go get a damn license making her a Dixon and that be the end of it. She was _his_ wife, not the rest of the worlds so he didn't see any reason to involve everyone else. A week ago they had had a pregnancy scare and he had panicked. He hadn't wanted his first kid to be born out of wedlock so he had unceremoniously asked her to marry him before she had even taken a test. She had said yes but the test, both of them, had proven that it was a false alarm.

He had asked her because he thought she might be pregnant but after finding out it was a false alarm, he had still very much wanted to go through with it. But he hadn't wanted it to be a big deal where they made announcements and had some big flashy wedding so she had eagerly agreed to his no flare stipulations. Even though he knew she wanted it. Now he found himself relenting, at least halfway.

"Thank you," she said, her smile lighting up her face and making it well worth it. He'd do anything to make her happy and this was just one more example of that. "I know you don't want it but it'll be great. I swear."

He grunted in response but her smile only widened and then she kissed him. When she pulled away she crawled off of him and climbed down from the truck. He watched her make her way up the porch steps before he even opened his door. They didn't have much time before the place would be full of people and they still had some stuff to do.

He found Merle out back, getting the grill ready. He was stone faced, which surprised Daryl because he had been in good spirits when he had left just that morning. He looked up at Daryl's approach, glared at him and then turned his attention back to the grill.

"What's your problem?" Daryl asked as he sat down on the step leading up to the back porch.

Merle snorted and shook his head but didn't bother answering him or even looking up.

Daryl frowned. Sure, they still got into fights every once in a while but for the most part him and Merle got along pretty well. Of course, Daryl was rarely home because he worked a lot and when he was he was dead on his feet and usually in bed. It was hard to fight with Merle when he didn't see him much. Things were different now and damn if Merle wasn't already starting to get on his damn nerves with his man period bullshit.

He proved just as aloof when Carol had tried to talk to him but neither of them really had much time to dwell on it because people started showing up. Some brought gifts, others brought beer, all of them were congratulatory. Knowing that graduating college was one of Carol's biggest dreams. Daryl was standing with Oscar and Marv and a few other guys that he had met at the bar all those years ago. Carol was standing with a group of her college friends, laughing about something, her eyes bright.

"You still got it so bad," Oscar grinned and elbowed him in the ribs.

Daryl scowled at him but his eyes went back to her. She looked up then, meeting his gaze and smiled before returning her attention to the girl that was chatting next to her. Daryl didn't really know many of her friends and he really didn't plan on getting to know them. He just didn't feel like he'd have a damn thing in common with a bunch of college types, even though he was now married to one. Or a former one. She was finally finished and now they could really get their lives started.

Merle, to Daryl's surprise, kept leveling him and Carol both with shitty looks and Daryl couldn't figure out what the hell his problem was. Carol met him at the table next to the cooler. Her eyes met his and then looked towards Merle worriedly.

"Did you two get in a fight about something?" She asked.

He dug around in the ice and pulled out two cold bottles, handing her one of them. He twisted off the cap and shook his head. "He was in a mood when I came out here earlier. He's pissed about somethin' though. He ain't tried once to get one of your friends in bed."

"But neither one of us has done anything," she said, taking a long pull from the bottle and wrapping one arm around him.

He shrugged, killed his own beer and was about to say something when Merle was suddenly standing right there in front of them, scowling at Carol.

"What the hell do you think you're doin'?" He snapped and then grabbed the beer out of her hand, sitting it on the table so hard that it foamed over.

Carol, wide eyed, looked at the beer and then at Merle. "I was enjoying a beer. What the hell is wrong with you?"

He gestured wildly with his hands. "Me? Are you serious. You're standing here drinking _beer_!" His eyes shot to Daryl. "And you're letting her."

Daryl was worried now. Merle must have suffered some sort of mini stroke, or maybe he'd contracted Syphilis and was losing his shit. "Merle, what the hell is goin' on with you?"

Merle scowled. "I know what the two of you've been up to. And I won't have her standing around all nibbly bibbly, drinkin' beers. I won't have a damn niece or nephew born with an extra ear growing out of their ass just because Carol here is too stupid to know she shouldn't drink while she's pregnant. We're white trash but we're respectable white trash goddamn it."

By now he was nearly yelling and everyone was staring in shock. "What the hell are you talkin' about? She ain't pregnant!" Daryl hissed, grabbing Merle by the arm and pulling him away, leaving Carol to deal with the mob that was about to hit her with a whole new round of congratulations.

Merle yanked his arm away. "Don't give me that shit. I saw the box in the trash can in the upstairs bathroom."

Daryl threw his arms up in exasperation. "Just because you found a damn box don't mean the test said she was pregnant. There were two tests in that box and they both said she wasn't."

Merle stared at him, unblinking. "Right. Just like you wasn't sneakin' up the back stairs and fuckin' her for two months and then lying right to my face. Just tell me what the hell I'm even here for if you two think you gotta keep shit from me? I mention leavin' and Carol throws a fit but here I am and you got some news this big and you don't even mention it!"

Daryl felt guilty now. He hadn't thought Merle would consider getting a marriage license a big deal but it was obvious that he'd think it was another example of them keeping things from him.

"Merle, I swear she ain't pregnant. If she gets that way someday you'll be the first to know. We went yesterday and got a marriage license and the weddin' is next weekend and you have to give her away and then stand up there with me as best man cause that's what your crabby ass is. You raised me up and somehow made a decent man out of me and you've been a goddamn good brother. So what'dya say?" He said it all in a rush because he wanted Merle to know that he was appreciated around here. Merle was the reason they had been able to keep the house the last four damn years. He'd been around through every fight him and Carol ever had, every small victory, every Holiday. They were family and if Merle thought that he was under appreciated then he would likely pack up and leave and then God only knew what would end up happening to him.

Merle stopped scowling, his eyebrows shooting up. "What?"

Daryl blew out a heavy breath. "You gonna make me say all that sappy goddamn shit again? Hell no, fuck off." He stomped past him and made a bee line towards Carol who was trying hard to reassure everyone that she wasn't pregnant. What a goddamn cluster fuck.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the crowd, hauling her up onto the back porch and kissing her quickly. "Merle's gonna give you away and then he'll stand up with me. You got a week to put this goddamn thing together. Can you do that?"

She grinned and threw her arms around his neck! "Yes! This is gonna be great, I swear you won't regret it at all."

He was grumbling into her neck but he did kind of feel good about it. At this point the sky was the limit for them. There lives were just getting started and it was going to be a good goddamn ride. After next weekend, things would be great.

"You are the most amazing man in the world, do you know that?" She asked, pulling back but keeping her hands on his shoulders.

He shrugged. "I figured."

"I love you," she said with a grin.

He laughed. "I love you too. Let's get our asses back to those beers. Merle's ass is gonna be struttin' around like a fuckin' rooster for the rest of the party and I need to be at least half drunk to keep from throwing something at his big head."

She gripped his hand and pulled him back to the table. Sure enough Merle was already there, arms crossed, looking as smug as Daryl figured he would. He grinned at Carol.

"Hey, little sister."

Carol let go of Daryl's hand and wrapped her arms around his brother. Merle waggled his eyebrows at him but all Daryl could do at this point was laugh. Merle was such a son of a bitch. But he loved the son of a bitch regardless.


End file.
